Storm Shadows - Attunement
by BitterSweetTeller
Summary: In this dark time, the stars are not so light or bright. But, with entire universes in the balance...a attunement can be like a wish come true. A sequel to Storm Shadows - Suspiration. Rated K Plus for action and suggestive content.
1. Chapter 1: A Fortress of Mirrors

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 1:

Side Notes: If you haven't seen or read about my fanfictions Storm Shadows and Storm Shadows – Suspiration, please do before reading this fanfiction. It'll make more sense this way, because it's a sequel to both fanfictions set as the third and last fanfiction in a Star Trek crossover trilogy.

For understanding this fanfiction's continuity, there are some more things to note.

There are moderate spoilers for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek: Generations, the video game Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force, and the Deep Space Nine two parter What You Leave Behind.

So, if you haven't seen, played, or read about either of these things, it's recommended you do before reading this fanfiction. But, it's not required.

There are also some moderate hints for the Deep Space Nine episode Chimera. But, seeing or reading about it is not required either.

In a dark corner of the Doctor's Sphere…

Cass is sitting uncomfortably on the Sphere's floor with her back to a circular balcony railing, while Four stands before her.

Four states, "your personal thoughts are obviously concerning you."

Stars and comets go by on the Borg viewscreen. But, the stars burn bright: Even against the coming storm of dark blue lightning subspace distortions.

Getting teary eyed… Cass mutters harshly at herself, "how can they not?! I escaped from Section 31 to get my life in my hands again. But…all it's done is show how truly hellish it really is."

With a heavy sigh… She reflects, "sorry. It's not you."

She then faintly chuckles, "I'd make a less than ideal secret agent. Wouldn't I?"

Fairly shaken… Four reasons, "a fair assessment. But, a irrelevant one. If life was always pleasant…neither of us would be here now."

With a faint smile…Cass highlights, "if you can be philosophical, I can attempt to display a state of calm."

Sounding impressed, Four comments, "given your history of taking out your emotions on others, that would be most efficient." Cass adds, "you're welcome."

After a bit…She suddenly realizes, "come to think of it…can it be that simple?" Four wonders, "what do you mean?"

Cass pinpoints, "if I have the power of the Q…can't I just go back in time and stop the Borg from assimilating most of the galaxy to begin with?"

Awkward sounding, Four reasons, "perhaps. But, at great risk."

Cass puts to question, "why? Because of the temporal distortions?"

Four states, "it is not just that."

Cass inquires fairly nervously, "then…what?"

With regret and nervousness in her voice… Four reasons, "without that invasion… Heavy sigh. You would have been considered too much of a threat by Section 31. Your fight for individuality...would end before it could start."

Very reluctantly, Cass admits, "you're right. It's just… Heavy sigh. I wish it didn't have to be down the gutter: For any of us."

In a set but conflicted sounding way… Four comments hotly, "perhaps you access the situation that way. But, from where I come from…that is asking for the enemy to shoot you. I might appreciate the sentiment of life being more pleasant for all life. But, that is not logical here nor there."

Cass mutters irritatedly at her, "and since when do I have to be logical all of the time?"

Four is quick to point out, "clearly, you are not: Which at times gives me reasonable concern for your survival."

Cass heavily sighs into her hands.

And, after she looks up… She then acknowledges, "I know, Four. I know."

She reflects, "still… I have all of this power. And suddenly, I feel powerless. Ok. That's not true. I know I have power. But… Heavy sigh. What I'm really trying to say is…I wish I could do more. Surely there's some way to help without it being at great risk?"

With a faint smile…Four reasons, "I know of a way."

Looking more hopeful now… Cass looks up at her, "I'm listening."

Four recollects, "from what you have divulged to me of your visions… You have experienced some painful things."

Somewhat sarcastic, Cass mutters, "yeah. Don't remind me."

Four nervously reasons, "that was not my intention."

Cass implies, "ok. So…what is it?"

Four suggests, "in spite of what you experienced, you regained consciousness with no physical or neural flux. If you are well enough to intentionally have visions…"

Getting fairly amused by this… Cass gets to her feet.

And, she faintly chuckles, "I can really become the next Emissary of the Prophets. Almost like a dream come true, isn't it?"

Four figures, "if that is what you have dreamt of…I assume it is."

Cass comments impatiently, "then what are we waiting around for? Let's get going."

She starts to hold Four's hand: Much to her confusion.

Four turns to her, "what are you doing?"

Cass figures nervously, "I'm not sure what's going to happen. But, I want us to stay close. Things can get weird in… Well, wherever the hell is there."

Awkward sounding, Four says, "it already is. But, that would be efficient."

Slightly amused, Cass adds, "glad you approve. You got the hypospray?"

Four picks up a faintly familiar hypospray from a curve in the railing.

She reasons, "yes: Back in my other hand."

With a faint smile, Cass says, "good. Let's go."

Cass and Four's very Katras vanish off into the body of a falling unconscious Cass…and into the fires of a thousand dreams burning bright.

In a wave of memories and possible futures like a rediscovered dream…

White puffy clouds move with the wind of what seems to be a clear day.

Underneath though are storm clouds: Moving with the wind. They loom over the endless snowfall below, which is barely made out between the clouds.

Crystal orbs of visions aplenty grow on conifer crystalline trees. Some are green, some are neon red, some are silver, and some just have no color at all.

Cass is in a beanstalk patterned green dress. And, Four is in a fluctuating blue Andorian glow: Andorian antennae and all.

Cass faintly chuckles to herself.

Four comments awkwardly, "what has got you amused?"

Cass insists just as awkwardly, "oh. Nothing. Just…so many to pick from."

Four figures, "visions?"

Not sure what else to say… Cass just faintly nods.

She walks over from cloud to cloud, light as a feather.

Four accompanies her. Though, she walks less lightly.

Some of the crystal orbs they pass reflect the destruction of Deep Space Nine, of the Changeling homeworld, of Bajor...and of the crumpling ruins of the Starfleet fleet at the hands of the Borg.

In the crystal orbs though… As the Changeling homeworld blows up… A silvery yellow liquid like shuttle arrives in time in mid-warp to beam someone out.

Another shows the Section 31 ship: Seemingly appearing out of nowhere and crashing down into some vineyards. The conductor rod like structures off to the distance stand as the only reminder of France….in the midst of a raging fire.

Cass is too uncomfortable to look at it for very long.

With concern, Four just has to ask, "are you damaged?"

Half heartedly, Cass insists, "I'll be fine."

In spite of her resurfacing teary eyes, she wipes some of the teariness away.

And, she keeps looking.

As she does… A crystal orb catches Four's attention.

And, as she looks more closely… She looks like she's just seen a ghost.

Past the rattled bulkheads of the USS Defiant… A comatose Lauren and a comatose Patrick lie in dark red beds with half working yellow lights. A nervous looking Doctor Bashir is back to looking human: Closely monitoring their lifesigns.

In the third bed is a resting Jadzia Dax from another time, in a gray Starfleet uniform. She looks sweaty and shaky: Like she was pulled out of hell.

And, in the fourth dark red bed…is a unconscious Andorian Zhen.

Her blue color is slowly returning to normal. For, most of her Borg components are being removed carefully by Sarina: With a phaser and a carefully recalibrated hypospray.

On the subsonic level… A mental echo on the subsonic level rings through Four's very being:

You worry too much, Shelrav. As long as we're fighting together… No one's going to break up our bondgroup.

A tear runs down Four's face.

Cass turns back to her.

She asks worriedly, "Four…are you all right?"

Almost cryptically, Four mutters, "it is not relevant to the present."

Cass uneasily says, "ok. If you think so."

Four firmly nods. But, deep down…she knows it isn't the end of it.

Sounding very nervous… Cass figures, "I don't know about you. But, this place is starting to give me hell. Let's just get out of here soon. Ok?"

Four admits solemnly, "I would like that."

With a faint smile, Cass adds, "ok then."

Then, like magic… She finds the tree she was looking for.

Cass calls over to Four. And, Four comes to see.

A crystal orb high up on the silvery crystalline tree shows what looks like eight ancient stone obelisks on a uninhabited moon…with green mirror wedge like sides and strange burnt in glowing red bulky scarab like circles.

Voyager, Commander Shelby's ship, and Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht are coming out of warp bubbles overhead.

And, down on the surface…are what look to be lots of clay like spidery centipede legs: Weaving one big giant cocoon in a clay like disgustingly brown web between the obelisks.

In near disbelief, Four fearfully realizes, "this is humanity's last hope?! You would not survive. None of us will!"

Cass inquires nervously, "why? Do you know what's there?"

Four fiercely argues, "something more fearful than a out of control Q. The Q fear them. If we go there…we don't come back. None of us."

Cass faces her.

She grimly reflects, "deep sigh. Still… If that's what we're supposed to see… We're out of options, Four. Or at least…that's how it's going to play out. Isn't it?"

Four reasons firmly, "no. It is too soon to make that big of a assessment. Your more personal thoughts might very well be clouding your…judgment."

Cass mutters uneasily, "wouldn't be the first time. What is it?"

She looks in the direction of Four's line of vision.

And, as she does… She gasps.

For the crystal orb they're looking at…is in the not too distant future. And somehow, they both know that it is in the not too distant future.

Gray Borg panel tubing is flying everywhere. A bright reddish orange fire is erupting from a exploding apart Borg alcove.

And, in the midst of the vision…is Cass and Orrak at a standoff with phasers. Though, her human body is sweating a lot more than Orrak's Cardassian body. And, puzzlingly, she's having trouble not coughing up fumes.

Cass practically screams at him, "enough with the games, Orrak! What the…cough…hell did you do?"

Orrak comments coldly, "you should have blasted me when you had the chance, Cass."

Although, even as he tries not to show it…he doesn't look too happy either.

Four suddenly goes, "Cass… We have to go: Now!"

Cass tries to say, "now?! But, we're so close to…!"

Four states fairly nervously, "better than the alternative."

She quickly injects Cass with the hypospray…as a whirlwind of Pah-wraith flames comes out of the shattering crystal orb.

Dukat's menacingly glaring face appears through it.

Cass shrieks in resurfacing fear.

And, even then… Four stands in front of her: Ready to take the hit for her without a second thought.

But, as quickly as it comes… The Pah-wraith flames vanish into thin air: Along with the clouds and crystalline trees.

Back into the physical…

Cass wakes up…finding herself on the gold rimmed white bio-bed of a Delta Flyer 2.0.

Four appears to her right.

In the cockpit… Sarina faintly smiles in realization, "looks like we have got ourselves another passenger."

In a worn out and gray Starfleet uniform… Amin slightly smirks at the sensor readings, "looks like. I'll go see how they're doing."

Sarina firmly says, "I would."

Four checks uncertainly, "are you damaged?"

Cass faintly nods, "no. But, thank you."

Amin walks over to them.

With noticeable concern, she asks, "are you both ok? You've been worrying us all sick."

In a mixed relief of sorts… Cass faintly sighs shakily, "yeah. We are. But, soon…no one is going to be."

She sounds shaky. But, physically, she sure isn't.

Amin wonders nervously, "what?"

Darkly certain… Cass answers, "Dukat. He's coming."

Amin calls back to Sarina, "get us to the Doctor: Fast!"

Sarina confirms, "I understand. Already working on it."

Her Delta Flyer 2.0 dives down for the Doctor's Sphere: Only several light years away.


	2. Chapter 2: Forging On Through

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 2:

As the afternoon is getting closer and closer to nightfall…

Like a page from the past… The Past Captain Janeway finds herself in Lord Burleigh's mostly pale brown gothic mansion.

The rain pounds on. The lightning pierces the stormy sky.

But, as she cautiously looks around in the dark… She catches her reflection in the eight windowed door: However briefly it is against the lightning flash.

The Past Kathryn gasps.

For standing behind her…is Seska in a torn up black maid like gown: In her true Cardassian colors.

In her dark blue dress… The Past Kathryn turns to face her.

With fear in her eyes, she realizes, "Seska. What the hell are you doing…?"

Seska faintly laughs as she takes out a Cardassian disruptor.

She just mutters coldly, "I don't have time for games. Where has little Kes and Lord Chakotay gone?"

With a confident smile, Past Kathryn shoots back, "the fourth floor. Where else? It's heavily guarded by knights: Knights loyal to both of us. Face it, Seska. You might as well drop your weapon before you do something you'll regret."

Seska darkly reasons, "you really think I'd storm in without a bomb?"

Past Kathryn goes wide eyed.

She swiftly runs for the wooden stairs.

Seska fires at her. But, Past Kathryn ducks behind the piano.

It explodes into magic 8 balls, bouncing all over the room.

Past Kathryn grabs a magic 8 ball.

She calls out, "fire!"

The magic 8 ball turns into a phaser in her hand.

She shoots down a shocked Seska: Still holding her disrupter as she falls unconscious onto the floor.

Past Kathryn keeps running.

As she runs up the stairs… She calls out, "Kes! Chakotay!"

When she gets to the third floor though… A explosion goes off.

Teary eyed… Past Kathryn mutters determinedly, "no."

As she gets to the third set of steps… She sees a gust of fire coming down.

Past Kathryn runs to a corner of the hall…as it's all going up in flames.

She's crouched in the corner: Nervously looking around for any sign of life.

There isn't any.

She starts to sob.

But, as quickly as it comes… The fire suppression system kicks in.

Fire extinguishing foam fills the hall.

Past Kathryn gets up: Trying to look like nothing's wrong.

She tries to dust off some off her dress. But, it's clearly soaked in suds.

She calls out again, "Kes! Chakotay!"

She makes it up the stairs…to find several knights in yellow plating with Starfleet combadges pinned on.

Past Kathryn checks some with her tricorder. But, all she's picking up are suits of armor: Lifeless suits of armor.

She walks on, into a medical room.

One of the metal colored white sheeted beds is completely scorched.

A fiery explosion with the number 2 in it is hovering from the bed: Contained in a blond colored magic 8 ball with Kes's name across it.

It's cracked. But, it's all starting to vaporize.

Past Kathryn cries out, "Kes! ! !"

She reaches for a white striped mostly blue bent out of shape fire extinguisher. But, it's too late.

The humanoid sized magic 8 ball vaporizes in a puff of green smoke.

And, on the floor, in a corner… There's the burnt off patient's signature on a half burnt sign in sheet. It's Tierna's signature. It also happens to be right next to a half burnt approval form: For the EMH Doctor to use Seska's DNA specific hypospray on Chakotay and Captain Janeway to cure a certain virus on a certain world they were stuck on until a cure can be found.

Past Kathryn sits there…looking at them on the floor in her shaken state.

A familiar voice says, "Kathryn?"

Past Kathryn slowly gets up…to see Past Chakotay standing before her.

He's in a colonial styled blue dress and a matching hat.

Past Kathryn tenderly sighs, "ohh. Chakotay."

She holds him tight. And, he holds her in kind.

Over his shoulder, Past Kathryn sniffles.

She mutters determinedly, "we got to get her back."

Past Chakotay solemnly reveals, "I'm afraid that's not possible. She's gone."

Past Kathryn breaks into silent tears.

And, all of a sudden…lighting strikes through the room.

Flames start surrounding Past Kathryn: Encasing her in a dark blue humanoid sized pool ball with the number 6 on it.

She cries out Chakotay's name. But, he too is in a humanoid sized pool ball: Pounding away at the green and white striped casing like mad…crying out her name.

Physically…

With a gasp…Past Kathryn wakes up.

She sits up in bed, nervously looking for Seska. But, she isn't here.

Past Chakotay uneasily wakes up.

They're both still kind of tired.

He asks the obvious, "bad dream?"

Past Kathryn deeply sighs in mixed relief.

Teary eyed, she answers, "uh-huh."

Past Chakotay asks in concern, "you want to talk about it?"

Past Kathryn shakily admits, "not really. But, it isn't hard for you to guess."

Past Chakotay realizes, "you're still blaming yourself. Aren't you?"

Past Kathryn figures, "with what we've been through…it's hard not to."

Then… A communications channel opens in the room.

With a solemnness in her voice… Captain Janeway hails them, "Captain Janeway…and Chakotay… I'm sorry if I woke you too soon. But, please report to my ready room. It's urgent."

Past Kathryn tries to answer back. But, the channel closes before she can.

Looking fairly confused, Past Chakotay wonders, "what the hell could be so urgent to get the two of us up?"

Past Kathryn reasons uncertainly, "I don't know. But, something tells me it has plenty to do with our "less trustful friends" out here."

Meanwhile, on the Doctor's Sphere…

The conscious members of Team Red Hour are gathered near, while Gemma Elinor and Reia's unconscious bodies are being beamed off the Sphere.

Tyrik and Endri stand there, fairly nervous looking. Orrak just darkly grins, while K'Olagh just looks impatient for battle.

Standing before them is the EMH Doctor: Looking fairly uncertain himself.

Kellin and some former human Borg are standing by him: Ready with phasers, in case of trouble.

The EMH Doctor addresses, "under normal circumstances, you would all be confined to quarters until the latest Borg invasion is stopped. Agent Gemma Elinor and Agent Reia are going to be in confinement. That much is certain. But…the past thirty months have left us with very few people left to fight. So, in light of this, we're willing to offer you each a choice. You can stay in confinement on one of Hugh's Spheres. Or, you can put aside the strong disagreements among ourselves and join us against the Borg. It's your decision."

Most of Team Red Hour stands there nervously.

K'Olagh mutters sharply, "what disagreements? All I care for is sending as many Borg as it takes to Gre'Thor: Not empty talks."

With mixed feelings, Endri mutters under her breath, "figures."

K'Olagh glares back at her.

The EMH Doctor reasons, "yes. I'd think so. But, regrettably, with Section 31…you can never be entirely certain."

Orrak is in the middle of thinking, "maybe I should get Tyrik to lose it. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I…"

Tyrik sees that evil grin forming on Orrak's face. And by now, in the couple of months they've been together…he knows all too well what would follow.

Before anyone else can say more… He quickly draws out his phaser.

Orrak quickly draws out his.

Kellin and the rest of the members of the Doctor's resistance on hand aim for both of them. But, there's no hiding the tension on everyone's faces right now.

Tyrik figures warningly, "try it, and I fire."

Orrak faintly laughs. He remarks, "try what? Because unless there's something you want to confess, I don't see it."

Worried sounding, Endri tries to reach to him, "Tyrik."

With wavering confidence, Tyrik orders, "step away, Endri. I know what I am doing." Endri doesn't hesitate to comment, "yeah. I don't think you…"

Kellin moves over to them. As she does, she interestingly lowers her phaser.

Sounding nervous herself… She cuts in, "please stand down: Both of you. Maybe then you can tell us what the hell this is all about like adults?"

K'Olagh speaks out angrily, "Orrak. What other Petaq would be so dishonorable long after a fight is over?!"

Tyrik is in the middle of thinking, "maybe I should… No! My thoughts! I am in control. My thoughts…my own!"

He struggles to put down the phaser: His arm shaking like crazy.

Orrak is slowly putting down his phaser.

But, all the while…he glares intently at Tyrik: Hoping to use his very thoughts against his sense of Vulcan calm.

Tyrik forces his arm downward with his other hand.

But, just as he's about to put down the phaser…

He is in the middle of thinking, "maybe I should shoot Orrak. Maybe I should… No! ! !"

Tyrik turns the phaser toward Orrak: Ready to fire.

But, at the last second… He turns it on himself.

He falls unconscious…as the phaser clinks hard against the cold floor.

All to the shock of the others.

All except Orrak: Who looks more than a little discouraged.

Fairly shaken, the EMH Doctor questions, "what kind of madness is…this?"

He's checking Tyrik over with his tricorder. And, soon enough…he finds the Borg implant on the back of Tyrik's head. It still has blinking little green lights.

K'Olagh voices, "I've had enough!"

He decks Orrak: Making him bend over, coughing hard.

Endri can't help but faintly smirk at that part.

With her phaser out again… Kellin warns, "back away: Before I shoot."

K'Olagh just goes, "bahh! Fine. You can have him."

With some relief, Kellin figures, "thanks."

K'Olagh starts to back away: Even with Orrak glaring intensely back.

He then storms off back to the bed area, muttering on and on to himself.

Two of the members of the Doctor's resistance sigh in relief to themselves.

As soon as K'Olagh is gone though… Orrak just laughs on the floor.

Now most everyone is staring at him.

Looking up from the floor… Orrak darkly proclaims, "for all the good it'll do you. I have no intention of helping you, Maquis. But, whatever happens here… I'll help myself out."

Kellin verbally fires, "we'll see about that. Get him ready for transport."

From the corner of a back way corridor… The former Bynar Borg conclude in unified conclusion, "as…you wish."

And, before Orrak can say anything more…Kellin just renders him unconscious with her phaser: Looking very satisfied while doing it.

Kellin turns back to Endri, "so…what side are you on?"

With a slight chuckle… A teary eyed Endri faintly reflects, "we never cared much for Section 31 to begin with. I care. But…only for their lives and the lives out there: Not their illogical rage. It may have taken several missions for me to fully realize it. But, I want to end this war with the Borg as much as you do. And, I think I speak for me and Tyrik when I say we're with you."

Kellin solemnly deduces, "good. We could use all the help we can. I for one hope he makes it."

By now… Orrak's body beams off the Doctor's Sphere.

Endri faintly smiles, "thank you. You have no idea how much."

With some held back self reflective amusement, Kellin adds, "you're welcome. What is it, doctor?"

With tricorder still in hand… The EMH Doctor reluctantly concludes, "I don't know. The Borg might very well have implanted it in him without his knowledge on Kronos. But, there's no sign of Borg interlink frequencies. More to the point…I've never seen any frequency like this before."

Endri bitterly reveals, "I know well why. And, you're not going to like it."

Fairly sarcastic, the EMH Doctor comments, "wonderful. As if we didn't have enough problems already."

Not long before, further down the Sphere…

Hannah Bates has been at the Borg viewscreen: Looking through fluctuating sensor readings for a certain Borg Unicomplex in the Delta Quadrant. The dark blue lightning subspace distortions are flashing over the sensor readings.

With a hand over her eyes… Hannah Bates mutters, "damn distortions."

Then… Cass, Amin, Sarina, and Four come in. And, none of them look very happy.

Hannah Bates turns in their direction.

Very unsure what to make of this, she inquires, "Sarina…what is going on?"

Sarina realizes uneasily, "well…the holographic Doctor seems preoccupied with Team Red Hour right now. But, we should tell someone."

Sounding concerned, Hannah Bates inquires, "and I ask again: What is it?"

Not long after…

Hannah Bates concludes nervously, "I see. How long do we have?"

Sarina admits nervously, "I wish I could figure it out. But, I can't."

Four is staying in the back of the section, ready with a phaser. She's standing guard: As per her own suggestion, in case Dukat makes a surprise visit.

But, she looks very restless. And, not just because of Dukat either.

Amin throws out there, "I don't get it. If we need to stop Dukat so much, why doesn't Cass just conjure up some Bajoran orbs to face him off with?"

With a smile, Cass figures open mindedly, "I don't know about the rest of you. But, that sounds good to me."

Sarina reluctantly points out, "you might have done many powerful things, Cass. But, creating cosmic orbs in your physical state of cosmic flux? Just creating one could destroy you."

Frustratedly, Cass mutters, "damn. Well, that's one theory out."

Amin deeply sighs.

She goes, "ok. Fine. But, I don't like the idea of Gemma and Reia being all together in a little ship to be easy to find by a crazed Pah-Wraith emissary. Undetected cloak or no undetected cloak."

Suddenly sounding more relieved than not… Hannah Bates suggests, "well, if that's all you're concerned of… I'm sure you would both be welcome to guard them. Isn't that good enough?"

Amin faintly smirks, "when you put it like that… Yeah. I'd sure think so. What about you?"

With some uncertainty in her voice, Cass voices, "sounds like a good plan. I just hope it's enough." Sarina agrees, "me too, Cass. Me too."

Fairly confidently, Hannah Bates deduces, "still…that's one less crisis to worry about. I haven't found where the Borg are holding Jack. But, I did find the next best thing: Commander Shelby and Commander Thomas Riker's location. That is, if it stops flashing at me."

Sarina realizes, "so we can get more hyposprays for Cass fairly soon. That is good news. Plot a intercept course and get us within hailing range as soon as you can. We're going to need all the time we can get."

Hannah Bates faintly nods, "got it."

With a faint smile, Sarina reasons, "then we'll leave you to work. Come on."

Sarina turns to leave with Cass and Amin.

But, then…Hannah Bates adds something.

She's kind of quick to point out, "and if the Doctor doesn't agree with this plan? Then what?"

Cass and Amin are already a ways ahead, down a twisting Borg corridor. So is Four.

But, Sarina pauses. She turns to face Hannah Bates.

Sarina explains, "when he finds out why, I'm sure that won't be a issue. Voyager and some Hazari vessels are still in this sector. But, they're all undergoing heavy repairs. Although… If they do come… We still have several Spheres left to keep them busy. I understand that would be his only issue in these circumstances."

Hannah Bates faintly smiles in acknowledgement, "it's likely."

Sarina faintly smiles back, "thank you."

Hannah Bates looks at her a little confused, "for what?"

Sarina answers, "for the assurance."

Hannah Bates faintly chuckles, "then you're welcome."

And, with that, Sarina walks down the twisting Borg corridor to catch up with Cass, Four, and Amin.

Little does either of them know of Tyrik's condition of uncertainty…and of the bigger drama that awaits under the sheer brightness of the dark blue lightning subspace distortion echoes.


	3. Chapter 3: Courting Danger

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 3:

Roughly a half hour later…

Hugh's Spheres and the Doctor's Sphere are moving out for Sector 56309 to regroup: With two Andorian Battleships, Commander Shelby's vessel the USS Excalibur, and Kellin's Ramuran ship not far behind.

Kellin has had to adjust the illumination down a lot on her ship's sensor readings to keep herself from going blind from all the constant flashes out there.

Cass and Amin are onboard her ship, nervously standing around the raven black rimmed holding cell for Gemma Elinor, Reia, and Orrak.

Four is standing guard off in the corner: After convincing the Doctor that the efficiency of guarding Orrak as well would be greater with three individuals.

With Orrak's brought to light involvement with Tyrik's medical condition, the Maquis weren't going to take any chances of him interfacing with any Borg technology on one of Hugh's Spheres or the Doctor's.

And meanwhile, Tyirk is still unconscious: On a heavy duty mostly black stretcher styled medical bed crudely assembled out of a Borg alcove, in the same Borg corridor where he fell down stunned.

The EMH Doctor continues to monitor his condition through the medical bed's sensor readings, while Endri stands very nervously over it all.

K'Olagh and the rest of the Doctor's resistance onboard the Doctor's Sphere are standing ready: Restlessly ready for the inevitable.

That is, except for Hannah Bates. But, she's at sensors…and fully interfaced with the Borg viewscreen through a Borg alcove. For, it was the only easy way to avoid seeing the constant flashes on the screen.

After some more awkward minutes… Endri breaks the silence.

With a sniffle, she nervously asks, "is he going to make it, Doctor?"

The EMH Doctor answers fairly confidently, "physically, yes. Long as we don't hit any non-corporeal turbulence, I'm sure he'll regain consciousness in a few hours." Sounding a little better, Endri faintly smiles, "that's good."

The EMH Doctor somberly concludes, "as for his brain… Vulcan brains are extremely resilient...and also one of the most puzzling. Anything remotely logical houses intense synaptic function, and anything remotely emotional is pushed to the sides as though they were just hallucinations. I'm afraid only time will tell how much of his brain is undamaged from the neurally augmented Borg implant."

Endri responds reflectively, "I see. Brief chuckle. You can call me crazy. But, even though he seriously frustrates me sometimes with his "houses of logic"… I love him. And, not even a desperate act out of a Borg implant is going to change that."

With a hint of mixed feelings, the EMH Doctor faintly smiles, "I wasn't going to. But then, I suppose…years alone out in the Delta Quadrant… We've done a lot of desperate acts for the good of others. Not unlike Mister Tyrik here."

Endri faintly recollects, "yeah. I suppose you're right. Thank you, Doctor."

She starts heading back for the bed area: A little sleepy and more than a little shaken with the day.

The EMH Doctor concludes, "you're welcome. Looking to turn in?"

Endri pauses kind of nervously. She turns back to him.

Admittedly, she says, "yeah. I kind of stayed up longer than I should. Might even help. But…if he regains consciousness…"

The EMH Doctor assures her, "you'll be the first to know."

Endri faintly smiles back, "that's all I can ask."

She continues on for bed. Or at least…that was what she was hoping for.

Around this time, in the back of Kellin's ship…

Orrak seems very much asleep: Sleeping away the time that got away from him. But, his evil grin rests on his face.

Gemma Elinor is in the corner: Occasionally resting her eyes and going ugh as she glares up annoyedly at the thick metal lined ceiling of the cell.

And, Reia just smugly smiles: Much to Cass's, Four's, and Amin's unease.

She says twistedly, "after the mental number Orrak pulled on Tyrik I already saw coming… You poor girls don't stand a chance." Amin mutters, "no. I'm sure we faced worse: You embarrassment of a sister."

Cass faintly chuckles at that.

Reia rambles on, "does it really matter what you think, masculinity hater?! Faint laugh! I'm going to enjoy watching this fire god of a man burn you all. Then, I'll embrace him as my own. And, we'll have all sorts of fire between us."

Amin just sighs annoyedly at her: Like she's heard it all before.

With a deep sigh, Cass mutters, "oh, my god: Get over yourself already!"

Four starts to head over to her, "are you ok?"

With a angry sigh… Cass goes on, "yeah. After the nightmare from that image and the entire universe goes down the broken road, I should be just fine!"

Four is looking down: Sighing nervously, and not sure what else to say.

Then… Things take a turn for the worst.

Onboard the now distant Borg Unicomplex… Borg Queen 841 instructs the collective, "it's time for a more aggressive approach."

Hundreds of Borg pods decloak around Hugh's Spheres and the Doctor's Sphere. And, they're wasting no time firing their cutting beams in a grid formation.

At the same time… Kellin and Hannah Bates call out, "what the…?!"

Hugh's resistance and the Doctor's resistance fire everything they got.

But…there's so many cutting beams that many of the Borg missiles are soon held in place against themselves.

The explosions tear through the Spheres: Burning off an entire half of a concrete Sphere…and leaving others with completely burned off shield emitters.

Hannah Bates reports, "we just lost shields!" From the nearest Borg alcove screen, the Doctor uneasily confirms, "I can see that."

Around this time, on the USS Voyager…

Some Section 31 agents are heading down a corridor: Heading for Main Engineering. One of them is Arrow Bourne.

He looks surprisingly confident: All things considered.

The other guy is going on and on, "you know, with all the command decisions the "good" captain has been making… We're bound to be in escape pods by tomorrow and wide awake for the Borg to assimilate us. We should do the whole universe a world of good and dispose of her."

Arrow Bourne comments hotly, "well, unlike you, I'm not worried about surviving. It's only a matter of time before our secret weapon…strikes."

They both grimly realize Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay has come up behind them: With Past Kathryn in her grayish blue dress, and Past Chakotay in his worn out open collared light blue shirt.

They're both fairly tired. But, with phasers out and ready all the same.

Past Kathryn sarcastically mutters, "sorry. Time's up."

She and Past Chakotay fire their phasers.

The two agents reactively side step down a corner, as phaser fire fires past.

They soon draw out their phasers.

But, by the time they do… Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay are making a run for it: Through the automatic door to Main Engineering not very far away.

The first Section 31 agent mutters to himself, "damn."

He and Arrow Bourne fire at both of them.

But, all it does is phaser blast the door off as it closes.

Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay duck behind the nearest bulkheads: Avoiding the fallout.

Fairly physically shaken, Past Chakotay checks, "are you ok?"

With cold determination on her face… Past Kathryn faintly mutters, "not exactly. But, we at least both know why."

Twenty or so minutes earlier…

Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay were in Captain Janeway's ready room: With bags under their eyes, as Captain Janeway and Kes were facing them from the other side of the desk.

Along with Past Kathryn, Past Chakotay was realizing, "you're telling us Section 31 is responsible for getting us here and damaging all of reality?"

Kes admitted nervously, "I still don't quite get it myself."

She turned to the window.

And, she looked out to the stars: Even as the lightning flashes go on and on.

After a bit… Kes was speaking her mind, "after going over my subatomic particle calculations… I've realized there's a ninety percent chance that Interwarp has accumulatively become the cause of the temporal ruptures: Which Section 31 has invented and has been using to space travel for many months. And, with some clarification from Captain Janeway here, I've found out it's not possible to successfully time travel with Interwarp. But, with all of this… There's something I still don't get: Why would they endanger the multiverse just to get their way?"

She turned to all of them as she asked.

Past Kathryn nervously pointed out, "maybe it's all too simple. Maybe they're just too caught up in power to see the errors of their ways."

Past Chakotay uncomfortably added, "like Seska." Past Kathryn solemnly agreed, "yes. Like Seska."

More than a little uneasy, Captain Janeway suggested, "normally, I'd agree. But, we're still missing some big pieces of the puzzle. And, if we're going to stop Section 31 from making things any worse, we should find out what they are."

Past Chakotay couldn't help but wonder, "what do you mean?"

Captain Janeway pinpointed, "we've been fighting the Borg for a good many months now. And, not even Seven or the Doctor in this galaxy has found anything resembling temporal anomalies on such a massive scale: Until now. Now, I don't know about you. But, I think that's sounding more than a little suspicious."

Past Chakotay faintly surmised, "I think you're right."

Past Kathryn lightly remarked, "of course. She's also me. But, more importantly… What are you planning on doing about it?"

Captain Janeway slightly chuckled. Past Chakotay smiled silently to himself.

Captain Janeway supposed, "well... With repairs underway, and nothing else to worry about at the moment… I think it's about time for a mutiny of our own."

Bittersweetly, Past Kathryn figured, "we've been thinking the same thing ourselves. So…how does this little plan of ours start off?"

Presently…

While Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay were talking… Section 31's got something else to worry about.

Kes appears through a bluish green subspace corridor: Right behind the main engineer as he's working on a section of damaged Borg panel.

She says, "sorry about this. But, I see no better way." The Section 31 agent faintly laughs, "nice for you to care. But, it won't matter: Not for you anyway."

Several more agents gather around: Firing at Kes without a second thought.

With a wave of her hand, she fairly easily turns the phaser blasts into one big blob of faint blue and red matter.

The main engineer takes the chance to try to tackle Kes. But, needless to say, she saw it coming.

She inwardly sighs…as she unleashes the matter blob as one bright blue flare: Temporarily blinding all the agents in the room.

Over the collective groans, Kes calls out, "now would be good!"

Past Kathryn faintly grins, "acknowledged."

She and Past Chakotay fire phasers at the agents: Starting with Arrow Bourne and the other agent from behind, coming in through the fading smoke.

They're all taken out in one volley before they even know what hit them.

Past Chakotay wonders uneasily, "is that all of them?"

Kes faintly sighs in relief, "no. But, it's a good start. If I'm right, one of their minds will be able to fill in some more blanks."

She goes over to the nearest unconscious agent: Starting to concentrate hard on the task at hand.

Past Kathryn faintly assures her, "well, it's not like you've been wrong before: In any timeline."

Briefly looking up… Kes faintly smiles back, "I'm afraid I wouldn't go that far. But, you're mostly right. Thank you."

With a little bit of a headache, Past Kathryn adds, "of course."

Around this time, out there…

The first concrete Sphere continues to burn. And, it isn't long before it explodes from within.

The impact takes out thirty Borg pods. But, only now is there a good enough opening to break away.

The Andorians try to help.

But, fifty more Borg pods and a good several Borg Probes come out of transwarp just to fire cutting beams against them: Even as five more Battleships come out of warp to try to end it quickly.

Their ships are torn to pieces…as over eighty teary eyed Andorians are beamed off to be assimilated.

Hugh voices, "we thought they just had cloaked bombs: Not entire pods!" His second in command darkly realizes, "looks like we were wrong. Very wrong."

Most reluctantly, Hugh orders, "break away and retreat." His second in command sighs uneasily, "yes, Hugh."

Around this time, on Kellin's ship…

Red alert is going off in red.

Cass mutters under her breath, "now what?!"

Orrak opens his eyes. And, he faintly laughs, "now the real game begins."

The entire ship starts burning up in bright reddish orange flames.

And, appearing before Cass…is Dukat.

Kellin stays at the helm: Working to get transporter locks on all of them so they can beam off the ship…despite the sweat and dizziness climbing around her.

Amin tries to telepathically take Dukat out. But, he just grabs her by the side and hurls her right into the force field: Sickly knocking her out.

In teary eyes…Cass gasps, "Dukat."

With not even a hint of realizing what she's really feeling now… Dukat looks fairly calm at her, "Cass. It's been too long. You know, after thinking it over…I've realized for myself what you really are."

Wanting to get this over with…Cass mutters bitterly, "what?"

Dukat interestingly goes, "a Q: One among the superior. You shouldn't be concerning yourself too much with these weak people. You should be…"

He pauses. And, all the cool headedness just goes off like a puff of smoke.

Looking over to the side, he shouts, "shut up, Kira!"

With a dark smile, Cass remarks, "clearly, it hasn't been long enough."

Four is about to put her assimilation tubules into him: Hoping to get him by surprise. And, Cass has just realized it.

Dukat thought just laughs with his arms wide.

He lets Four try to assimilate him…only for her to be shrouded in Pah-Wraith flames.

She struggles shakily to move away…as her very consciousness is fighting to stay awake. For one of the Pah-Wraiths is in her now, and is all too eager to possess her.

Amin, Kellin, and Gemma Elinor are fighting to stay awake themselves: For their very consciousness.

Reia is just laughing and laughing: Making smoke angels out of the smoke around her. And, Orrak is just lying there: Faintly grinning with mixed feelings about who's coming to get him out.

Then… In a brilliant flash of mirrory dark bluish and light bluish light… The Pah-wraith flames seem to be swept away altogether.

And, rising out from the fading smoke is a bright rainfall falling up…of dark blue lightning subspace distortions.


	4. Chapter 4: Before the Gates of Time

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 4:

The rainfall of brilliance spins off like stars at warp speed.

But, they're soon circling into the slowly rising again smoke.

It's as if the Guardian of Forever is on rewind and fast forward: All at once.

Voices bobble back and forth in a chaotic whirlpool of words.

Mirrory ripples pass through the smoke and lightning subspace distortions.

And, reflected in these ripples…is every possible future playing out on its own: In the very center of a massive temporal rupture.

One is Dukat fighting what seems to be Data appearing out of nowhere, while Reia is just sickly swooning over them.

Another is the USS Excalibur coming in to cover the Doctor's Sphere and Hugh's Spheres, with all of them escaping from the barrage of Borg cutting beams.

Endri breaks a sigh of relief as she continues to the bed area.

Thomas Riker and Commander Shelby come out exhausted from barely keeping their ship together. But, they breathe a little easier then.

In a third possible future… The USS Excalibur is coming in, only to be destroyed with the Doctor's Sphere and Hugh's Spheres.

Endri uneasily turns back…to find the Doctor's resistance being swiftly stunned by more than fifty Borg drones.

The cybernetic implants in their arms are on a close range high band neural frequency: Not unlike the one used on Captain Picard on Stardate 43997.

In the middle of the confusion, the EMH Doctor finds himself beamed away: Onto a Borg Pod…piloted by a returning Borg Minuet.

Endri senses the Borg drone trying to stun her.

But, she cries out no as she shoots it with her phaser: Along with every other Borg she possibly can…before the Doctor's Sphere explodes with her on it.

Thomas Riker falls unconscious under a fallen in bulkhead…calling out Commander Shelby's name as she's beamed away by the Borg.

The past few and possible few minutes keep bobbing back and forth.

Yet, around Cass… It all seems easier to tell somehow.

Amin may be knocked out. But, in a dream like state…in a very relaxing pool of water… She senses the Pah-Wraiths: In storm clouds, off to the distance.

In one possible future…she senses someone there. And, she faintly smiles.

It's Cass: Extending a hand out to her.

All the while, in physicality…

Looking over to the side, Dukat shouts, "shut up, Kira!"

With a dark smile, Cass remarks, "clearly, it hasn't been…long enough."

Four is about to put her assimilation tubules into him.

As Dukat though starts to laugh with his arms wide… Cass suddenly starts seeing more than one Four.

She sees Four trying to assimilate him…only for her to be shrouded in Pah-Wraith flames and struggling shakily to move any.

She sees a possible future with a more hate filled Four breaking into the holding cell to assimilate Reia: Hoping to push away the Pah-Wraith, with the power of someone as deserving of her hate as her.

But, as Reia shouts at her to no effect… Four becomes a even worse Wraith than the Pah-Wraiths ever were: Collapsing the galaxy into a Big Bang to reshape it into her ideal Andorian Empire spanning the entire galaxy.

Cass tries to stop her. But, Cass's temperature goes way up.

She stops her all right. But, they're both lost to the cosmos in the process.

Teary eyed… Cass gasps.

She's expecting a inevitable end. But, time steps back again.

She finds herself conscious again…coughing hard against the smoke, amidst the mirrory ripples and lighting subspace distortions sweeping through the system.

Looking over to the side, Dukat shouts, "shut up, Kira!"

Four is about to put her assimilation tubules into him.

As Dukat though starts to laugh… Cass turns into a Prophet.

Cass calls out worriedly to Four, "get back!"

Four quickly retracts her assimilation tubules, duck tumbling for the other side of the hall.

At the same time… Dukat stops laughing…as a burst of bright blue non-corporeal energy fires into him.

He tries to hold it off with a burst of bright reddish orange non-corporeal energy. But, with Four ending up distracting him, he doesn't fire it fast enough.

He cries out no…as the bright blue non-corporeal energy sends him flying through a fading mirrory ripple of a fading possible future.

He reactively makes a portal to escape. But, it'll be a while before he knows for sure when in time he really is.

The reddish orange fires vanish as quickly as it came.

The other Pah-Wraiths escape with him: Fearing worse at the hands of Cass.

For, they're not just Pah-Wraiths. They're Dukat's Cardassian army: Willing to stand by him, come what may.

Time is returning to normal.

But…with Cass in the form of a Prophet… She floats in the linearity of time itself. Time continues to go back and forth to her, even with her temperature gradually rising up and up with every relative second.

She joyously chuckles at her newfound freedom: Even as the Prophets themselves in the form of her parents try to tell her she will regret it.

Cass goes, "Four. I did it. I actually did it!"

Back on her feet… Four uneasily sighs, "umm…I would not go that far."

Cass cheerfully smirks, "aww, come on. Now, what the hell is wrong with letting up once in a while?"

Four firmly points out, "no. That is not it. Look."

She points to a blurry image of what looks to be Astrometrics…zooming in on a fleet of Borg Pods and Borg Probes converging across the galaxy.

In the wake of the Pah-Wraiths's sudden retreat… The remnants of the Maquis and Section 31 are becoming easy picking for assimilation.

Handfuls of Klingon Birds-of-Prey, Andorian Battleships, Hazari ships, battered and half burnt Starfleet shuttles, the Section 31 ship… All of them.

With a wide bluish green subspace corridor… Voyager and Kes's Olympic class vessel barely gets away as it is.

Cass fully realizes, "ohh. Thanks." With a faint smile, Four reasons, "sure."

Cass wonders uneasily, "you think I can keep turning into a Prophet? Without…burning up?"

With a heavy sigh… Four answers, "in time…you could destroy yourself across the space-time continuum. For your survival, I would not recommend it."

Cass faintly sighs, "still… I'm going to save as many as I can while it lasts."

Cass concentrates on the Borg.

And, with a single thought… She makes the Borg fleet disappear into the Q Continuum: Despite not knowing much of anything about it.

She has a strong feeling it's only temporary.

But, even then… The Section 31 ship, Hugh's Spheres, and handfuls of the Maquis are already going into warp, transwarp, and warp bubbles.

Cass catches herself against the wall...as she starts fluctuating between a little sweaty and dizzy, and very much sweaty and dizzy.

Four nervously realizes, "the vision."

Cass grimly concludes, "I know. But…it also means I know where I'm going."

She can barely make out a portal: Right next to Orrak.

It was right when Dukat was escaping that Dukat made the portal for him.

Four starts to object shakily, "Cass, you can not…!"

Solemnly and determinedly, Cass voices, "sniffle. I'm sorry, Four. But, I have to do this."

She injects herself with her hypospray.

And, as time returns to normal for her… She makes a run for the portal.

Kellin is breathing a faint sigh of relief at the Helm. She faintly chuckles a little: Realizing she didn't need those transporter locks after all.

Four tries to run after Cass.

But…a android hand punches her out: Through the holding cell wall.

The Data lookalike then turns back to Gemma Elinor and Reia, standing there with unhidden conceited contempt. Yet, he seems to be in a constantly fluctuating mirrory state of being.

With some twisted mixed feelings, Reia looks sad: With the Pah-Wraith flames having gone and all.

Still a little shaken… Gemma Elinor comments coldly, "about time."

Not long after…

Gray Borg panel tubing is flying everywhere. A bright reddish orange fire is erupting from a exploding apart Borg alcove.

And, on this Borg Pod…is Cass and Orrak at a standoff with phasers.

Even after taking the hypospray… Her human body is sweating a lot more than Orrak's Cardassian body. And, she's having trouble not coughing up fumes.

Cass practically screams at him, "enough with the games, Orrak! What the…cough…hell did you do?"

Orrak comments coldly, "you should have blasted me when you had the chance, Cass. I knew Reia or Dukat would pick up the cry for freedom in my head and break me out. But, with Reia locked up…it wasn't a hard choice to make."

Although, even as he tries not to show it…he doesn't look too happy either.

With some faint amusement, Cass adds, "looks like we both…hard cough…got burned."

She finds herself getting very dizzy…much to her own shock.

She falls to the floor unconscious before she can think of what to do.

Standing over her… Orrak darkly grins, "except I'm still standing."

But, as his other hand glows reddish orange… About to finish it…

Orrak lets down his hand.

He sighs disappointedly.

And, he's thinking to himself, "still… It wouldn't be as enjoyable as I thought it could. I'll let you live for now, half human archangel. But, only because I want to see you and every other Starfleet softie suffer by Cardassian hands."

And, with that… Orrak sends Cass's unconscious body away through a portal…as the Borg Pod continues to burn in eternal reddish orange flames.

A half hour later...

Cass slowly wakes up…in a dark red bed under half working yellow lights.

Doctor Bashir is standing there with his tricorder: Checking her lifesigns.

With some mixed relief, Doctor Bashir uneasily says, "oh, good. You're awake. Do you always make it a habit of scaring people that care for you?"

Finding it hard to look up… Cass nervously admits, "sorry. I don't seem to always know my own power. And, that still does scare me sometimes."

Doctor Bashir faintly smiles sympathetically, "well, I guess I can't really blame you for not being used to something that can be very hard to control."

Cass adds, "thanks."

Doctor Bashir figures, "it's all right, Cass. In a manner of speaking, I know what it's like: Not always knowing when to hold back my abilities."

Cass faintly chuckles, "well, unless you're a Q passing yourself off as human on the Defiant, I don't buy it."

Doctor Bashir comments hintingly, "I did say in a manner of speaking."

With a faint smile, Cass concludes, "maybe later. How am I doing physically, Doctor Bashir?"

Doctor Bashir states, "frankly, you're lucky to be alive. With mine and Sarina's help, we were able to bring you back into temporal sync with normal time. But, for your safety, I would strongly recommend not changing into a Prophet again."

Cass begrudgingly accepts, "knew that was coming. But... Thank you."

Doctor Bashir faintly adds, "you're welcome. Is there anything I can get you?"

A little delicately, Cass pushes, "just tell me what has happened. Please."

Doctor Bashir moderately sighs, "well… If you're sure you want to know…I might as well inform you." Cass faintly insists, "yes. I'm sure."

Doctor Bashir figures reluctantly, "all right."

He reports, "Four was knocked out by a synthetic arm. But, she's going to be all right. Nobody else has seen or detected any android that got onboard Kellin's ship. Orrak, Gemma Elinor, and Reia all escaped somehow. And, we only got a handful of ships left to fight the Borg and the Pah-Wraiths."

Cass sarcastically mutters, "great. Just great!"

Before Doctor Bashir can say anything though…

She suddenly hits on something, "wait a second. A android that looks like Data?"

Looked astounded, Doctor Bashir says, "yes. She said that's exactly what she saw. How did you…?"

Cass admits nervously, "I'm not entirely sure how myself. But, if he is who I think it is… The universe is going to hell in more ways than one."


	5. Chapter 5: Drawing in the Cosmic Shards

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 5:

Meanwhile, out among the stars…

A few Andorian Battleships are following the USS Defiant and Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht…down into the asteroid field where the planet Bajor once stood.

Many in the Maquis have come here to hide from Borg sensors many a time: Because glowing bright blue, purple, and yellow fragments of Bajoran orbs are still floating around, interfering with all sensors.

But, it's by that same token that it's extremely dangerous.

Without radial residue from warp bubbles to help negate the effect, any ships passing through are hit by intense radiation that goes right through their shields.

Conversely… When a Andorian Battleship is stationary… It generates a Cryor shell through Multianics and a special set of internal freeze beam arrays.

It freezes the outside of the ship to protect it from accumulating space particles. But, it also ends up locking out anyone inside or out.

At least one Andorian must be onboard to warm up the ship to get back in. And, anyone who wants to beam down can't be late.

Because of this alone, Andorians have been known for their punctuality and early morning irritability as well as being one of the greatest warrior races in the quadrant.

So, what are Multianics?

They're Andorian designed marble lined silvery neural responsive electronics, before the Federation started to think bio-neural gel packs were a pretty neat idea.

Through Andorian sub-sonic communication through their antennae, Andorians can operate Multianics with their very thoughts. But, Multianics rely on neural energy for power: Which means even non-Andorians can operate them with proper training.

Needless to say… Multianics has become a very sensitive topic in the Federation for quite some time: Not helped by the first appearances of the Borg.

But, in this dark time…these things are nothing but a forethought.

On the USS Defiant… The Bridge is decorated in Multianics and Borg tubing.

Gold and dark red lines line the slightly burnt corridors and rooms.

A handful of Bajoran Militia, Klingons, and a green medium white haired Andorian at the Helm make up the Bridge crew. But, the captain…is Ferengi.

He also happens to be Nog: In his mostly gray Starfleet uniform over red, with the silvery Cochrane Medal of Excellence with Cochrane's face on it, a Starfleet combadge, and three pips on the collar.

He may still have his combadge. But, his grim expression is not unlike the expressions among the other faces of the Maquis.

A fairly shaken Nog is in the Captain's chair, as the USS Defiant is coming out of a warp bubble.

Trying to seem calm in front of his crew, he orders, "give me a damage report."

With a kind of sharp chime like voice, Okala reports from Ops, "minor damage to the primary hull and the secondary hull. But, the fires have been put out across all four decks. And, sensors show the Borg saw through our cloak seconds before we came out."

With a clenched fist… Nog sighs shakily, "it doesn't make any sense. It was a perfect Romulan cloak. How would they…?!"

From tactical, A Klingon interrupts, "Captain…a Mark II Delta Flyer has lowered multi-adaptive shielding: Five kilometers ahead of us. It's not armed, and hailing us."

On the viewscreen, against the bright blue fragments… There is a Delta Flyer shuttle: Coming about to face them over static.

Nog reluctantly says, "all right. Onscreen."

On the screen… The unconscious bodies of several Section 31 agents are piled up in the back. And, through the static…there is Captain Janeway.

Nog diplomatically says, "ma'am."

Captain Janeway uncomfortably says, "Nog. This is going to take some explaining."

Nog mutters back, "we have nothing to discuss. I know better than to trust Section 31. Go, before I open fire." The Klingons faintly chuckle to themselves.

With a roll of her eyes… Captain Janeway pauses.

She figures interestingly, "all right: I surrender."

She takes her weapons and main systems offline with a press of some buttons. Red lights flash over her shuttle as she steps away from the console.

A automated voice says, "warning. Twenty minutes until multi-adaptive shielding is offline."

Captain Janeway comments, "now, how about we discuss why?"

Okala faintly smiles to herself. The Klingons just grumble.

Bordering on impressed, Nog concludes, "argh! All right! You can beam onboard. But, we will be keeping a close eye on your shuttle and you."

Captain Janeway faintly smiles, "that'll be just fine."

Fifty minutes earlier, with the USS Voyager…

Over a Borg console, Past Kathryn checked, "how's the Bridge?"

The screen then showed a Bridge lined with some unconscious Section 31 agents…and Captain Janeway standing over them with a phaser in hand.

With a faint smile, Captain Janeway informed them, "Bridge is secure."

Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay faintly chuckled at each other, before Past Kathryn turned back to Captain Janeway.

With a faint smile, Past Kathryn said, "acknowledged."

From a second console… Past Chakotay reported, "Captain, six agents are heading for the Bridge. Should we stop them?"

Captain Janeway turns to look over the Science station to bring up sensor readings.

She reasoned grimly, "no. You'd never make it. And, with the multiverse in danger, it's best not to interrupt Kes."

Past Chakotay started to argue, "but we can't just…!"

With a warning tone, Captain Janeway mostly assured, "I'll find a way, Chakotay. Just stay where you are in case something worse comes to Main Engineering."

With a moderate sigh, Past Chakotay concluded reluctantly, "acknowledged."

He ended transmission.

With a sympathetic hand on his, a fairly nervous Past Kathryn figured, "you don't have to say it, Chakotay. I know."

Past Chakotay solemnly nodded, "thank you." Past Kathryn said, "of course."

On the Bridge… Captain Janeway hailed Astrometrics.

Seven may be in a sleep cycle. But, Magnus was there.

A little tired, Magnus answered, "hello, Captain."

Kind of awkwardly, Captain Janeway quickly got to the point, "Magnus. There isn't much time to explain. But, you have to beam six agents to the Brig now. Or, things are going to get a lot worse for all of us."

Magnus considered, "hm. Usually, I'd need a explanation for something like this. But, after months of spending time together on the same ship… I trust you."

And, yet… He's thinking back to Captain Janeway's rescue of Seven on the edge of the Dark Frontier as he says it.

Captain Janeway faintly sighed in relief, "thank you. Did you already…?"

With a faint smile, Magnus said, "yes. They're in the Brig. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Captain Janeway faintly remarked, "well, now that you mention it… There is one other thing."

Presently, not long after…

Nog is down in Transporter Room 1, to officially meet his unexpected guest.

Captain Janeway is beaming aboard.

Nog brushes aside his grimness as he steps away from the transporter controls.

Captain Janeway steps off the transporter pad.

While still trying to stay awake… She outright admits, "well, seeing as how you're not going to say much…let me be blunt. I don't blame you for blaming me for some of Section 31's more questionable decisions. But, for months now, they've got a secret weapon that can destroy what little is left of this universe. And…I'll be damned if I'm going to let months of decisions get in the way of doing the right thing."

Teary eyed, Captain Nog uncomfortably figures, "you got that right. But, it isn't the first time I faced destruction. Everything I knew…was challenged that day."

He's thinking about the USS Valiant as he says it.

Captain Janeway notices, "you all right?"

Captain Nog faintly laughs it off, "I've been better. But, it's nothing."

Captain Janeway tiredly says, "whatever you say, Nog."

Captain Nog concludes, "all right. Let's just go to my Ready Room to discuss this and get this day over with." Captain Janeway faintly smiles, "best thing I heard lately."

She follows Captain Nog through the automatic door, and over to his Ready Room.

Ten or so minutes later, in Sickbay…

Four has recently come to, from her dark red bed.

Jadzia Dax sleeps. Patrick and Lauren are slowly recovering on their beds, thanks to biomolecular replication. But yet, there's a vacant bed.

Four sits on her bed, facing Doctor Bashir. And, she does not look to be in a good mood.

Four demands uneasily, "where is Cass?"

With hidden unease… Doctor Bashir answers, "I'm afraid she's busy at the moment."

Sounding almost startled… Four inquires, "busy?!"

Doctor Bashir faintly assures, "yes. But, she's going to be fine."

More calm sounding… Four concludes, "fine. But, I would want to know for myself: When she is no longer busy. Her survival is important to me."

Doctor Bashir faintly smiles in sympathy, "I'll see what I can do."

Four gets up from the bed.

She says, "thank you, Doctor."

Doctor Bashir figures, "you're welcome. In the meantime…there's someone who would like to see you."

Four quickly assumes, "Ehras."

Doctor Bashir realizes, "you two know each other."

Slightly turning back to him, Four solemnly confirms, "yes. We do."

She's already fast walking out of Sick Bay to go look for her.

Twelve or so minutes later, in the Captain's Ready Room…

Captain Nog and Captain Janeway have recently finished their discussion.

But, because of the urgency of Cass's discovery… Captain Nog gave Sarina permission to hail Captain Picard's Captain Yacht right away: No questions asked.

Sarina faintly assures, "I'll be outside if you want help pulling yourself away."

With a faint smile… A mostly shaken and slightly teary Cass nods, "thank you."

Sarina walks out the automatic door, leaving her be.

Cass nervously sits in the captain's chair to face the monitor: Remembering her short but rocky time with Team Red Hour as their captain.

Flashes of the Section 31 ship go by: Crashing down into Robert Picard's vineyards in the midst of a raging fire. And, as it crashes…Lore is holding on to the side of the winding corridor on reflex: No missing android parts to be seen.

But, weirdly enough… On the monitor... The Mainstream Captain Picard, in his mostly gray Starfleet uniform over red, is standing there…with Vash.

She's in a bright blue sleeveless dress, with several crystalline necklaces on. She also has a sympathetic arm around Mainstream Captain Picard's arm.

A fairly shaken Captain Picard grimly says, "hello."

Surprisingly solemn sounding, Vash says, "hello there."

Cass uncertainly says, "hello. But…aren't you…?"

With some amusement… Vash is quick to answer, "okay. Yes. We're from another universe. You can thank Q. Or, you can't. It's not like he hasn't made enemies. Faint uneasy laugh. A know it all older brother I really did not wish for. But, there he is: Showing up on our couch month after month."

Cass faintly chuckles, "I haven't met this Q. So, I wouldn't know."

Mainstream Captain Picard figures, "it's quite all right. He's…complicated."

Cass figures, "o…k. Do you know where the Captain Picard of this universe…?"

Trying to make things less awkward than it already is… Mainstream Captain Picard gets to the point, "but, it's also thanks to him…that we know. Me, the other me, and by extension Vash here. But, we appreciate that you were going to try."

Vash faintly smiles by his side.

Cass's teary eyes start to dry.

Kind of embarrassed, Cass adds, "you're welcome. So, why the hell did you let me hail you if you already knew?"

Mainstream Captain Picard figures, "because we know you know."

He then heavily sighs, "yes. I know this might not change anything. But, I'm asking you not to go after Lore."

Cass challenges glaringly, "why the hell not? He's put your crew and the future of the Alpha Quadrant in danger more than once, broke free Reia and Gemma, has probably done worse for Section 31…and you're asking me not to go after him?!"

Vash adds, "I told you that was coming."

Mainstream Captain Picard uneasily glances in her direction.

He then addresses Cass, "I'm not defending him by any means. But, what you don't understand is that he has become more powerful than any of us could imagine."

Slightly teary… Cass voices determinedly, "thank you for trying. But, I can't make that promise."

She closes the channel.

Vash comments sympathetically, "well, you tried. What else could you do?"

Mainstream Captain Picard mutters, "I wanted her to listen to reason."

Vash starts to pull Mainstream Captain Picard close to her.

She faintly laughs, "we all have reasons, Jean-Luc. She just didn't like yours. But, I'm already starting to like her."

With a faint laugh… Mainstream Captain Picard comments, "you would. I just don't want her to get hurt."

Vash hugs him tight. Mainstream Captain Picard hugs her back.

With a faint smile… She then adds, "I know you care. I know."

Around this time, in the Mess Hall area…

After some searching… A nervous Four finds Ehras at one of the tables.

But, with almost everyone else busy at their stations, they're alone.

With melodic Z's, A's, H's, and K's aplenty… They start speaking in Andorii.

With a sarcastic smile, Ehras asks, "you all right? You look a little gray."

Four sits before her. She interestingly faintly smirks: Knowing her like she does.

It quickly turns to solemnness though.

Teary eyed… Four reflects, "probably a understatement. In the aftereffects of the explosion… I accessed our Shelthreth was destroyed: On that Borg Cube."

Flashes go by of a explosive charge destroying her alcove: When she was Borg.

Looking nervous now… Ehras admits, "moderate sigh. As difficult as this might be to believe, Shelrav… I'm not her and yet am. I'm from another time and place: Where the Andorian Empire rules the Alpha Quadrant. The Borg recently tried to challenge our strength. But, we proved we're stronger and destroyed their fleet with ours. Probably would've been treated along with the others if it wasn't for being caught up by a temporal anomaly. But… Faint chuckle. It's good to be thought of still."

Finding it hard to look up… Four sadly says, "I understand."

Ehras nervously apologizes, "sorry."

Looking up… Four mostly assures her, "no. You do not have to be. I am proud of our people."

In mixed relief, Ehras realizes, "but you miss your Shelthreth."

Four admits, "yes. Sniffle."

And…she can't hold back anymore. She silently cries.

After what feels like forever… Four wipes the tears away.

She finds Ehras still there: Waiting with a faint smile for her to say something.

Four then says more, "sometimes…I can hear their voices. And, the more I hear them…the more I think that this universe might be closer to efficiency without me in it."

With a sympathetic hand on hers… Ehras kindly offers, "Shelrav… In all the time I've known you… You're stronger than you know."

Four concludes bitterly, "thank you for trying. But…try telling that to our people in this universe. There is no more empire. The Borg assimilated all our worlds!"

Their hands pull away. But, Ehras just looks at her calmly: Not even turning away.

Ehras points out, "that may be true. But, one thing is for sure: Your closeness with Cass. Even with what little Doctor Bashir said, I could tell."

More than a little stunned… Four thinks openly, "you are correct. With so much going on… I did not really realize until now. But…what if she rejects me?"

Ehras highlights, "friends, Shelthreths… That isn't what's important here. Closeness is closeness. And, it's something to be thankful for."

Four says, "I…think I understand. Thank you." Ehras says, "you're welcome."

Four adds, "but…that is not the only thing leaving me concerned."

Ehras inquires, "what is it?"

With the last ounce of her restlessness ready to come out… Four brings it out.

She explains, "you know me. But, I know the Borg. And, with a lot of temporal distortions out there…"

Out there, deep in the Delta Quadrant…

With their blinking green and yellow circuit board like lights… The Borg Homeworlds are getting countless Borg drones together to assemble more of a certain kind of Borg vessel. A vessel known only to Borg, until Captain Picard was freed from the Borg Collective and returned to a state of individuality.

Voyager never got close enough to a Borg Homeworld to really see one. But, it's just as important to the Borg Collective as any other Borg vessel.

These vessels are called Borg Environmental Probes.

They're clay moon like oval Borg Probes the size of a space station.

The interior of each one are really a giant spherical grid of Borg alcove bordered chambers: Each chamber containing particles off of spatial and temporal anomalies for study or containment, held in place by green force fields.

The design is not unlike the core of a certain living machine by the name of V'Ger.

But, these probes do more than just collect spatial and temporal anomalies. They change the environments of recently assimilated worlds to be suitable for Borg drones.

And, now a fleet of them is being given the final touches before launch: To go after the ever growing storm of lightning blue subspace distortions.

Over it all… Four finishes, "…no doubt they are containing as many of them as possible. There may be a universe left after they are finished. But…for how long?"

And, as she says it… She's simultaneously thinking back to Cass's vision with the stone obelisks on the seemingly uninhabited moon.


	6. Chapter 6: Faces Lost and Loved

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 6:

Circling back around the cosmic sparkling fragments of Bajoran Orbs…

The USS Excalibur, Kellin's ship, the Doctor's Sphere, and Hugh's Spheres are all coming out of Transwarp: Out through a lightning subspace distortion that happens to come out near here.

Their bulkheads are battered with purplish and greenish plasma fields. But, internal fire suppression systems and gravity control are keeping it under control.

As they come about for the asteroid field… Some projected out warp bubbles ripple along to light the way.

Voyager and Kes's Olympic Class vessel come out of a bluish green subspace corridor to join them, with a few half torn and battered down Hazari ships barely coming out behind them.

In crashing down echoes of nightmares…

Tyrik finds himself in a volcanic stone cobbled room. But, there is no light: Only a mirror.

His heart is pounding…as he fully recognizes the room once more.

Through the suddenly nearly blinding light behind the mirror… Flashes of being thrown into this room over and over run through his shaken state of mind.

He screams as he pounds at the mirror: Trying to shatter it all away.

His stomach growls like a monster struggling to get out. But, the images keep coming.

Bright Cardassian orbs of lights fade in and out. Orrak's face fades in and out…over the coldly stoic face of Tyrik's Vulcan father Sofevak: Seeming to glare down at him.

With tears falling from his face…Tyrik turns to face him: The same man who kept throwing him in here whenever he did something against his kind of logic.

He mutters determinedly, "no. You…will not break me!"

Tyrik knocks him away…as he swings back at the mirror.

It shatters…with the image of Orrak cruelly looking back at him.

With a scream… The little reflections of his once closest Cardassian friend in black bursts apart with the shards of glass.

The bright Cardassian orbs burst apart…giving way to a very dark room.

Orrak's Cardassian friend is there, with his hands around Orrak's throat over some fallen Cardassian orbs of light. Tyrik's image fluctuates over him.

Orrak punches him off. But, Tyrik's image rises above the unconscious body: Punching out Orrak before he can raise his phaser.

But, seconds before… Even Orrak looked like he was about to tear up.

Heavily breathing over him… A faintly teary eyed Tyrik reasons, "you…shall no longer control me."

Not long after, out in the physical…

With a very uneasy groan… Tyrik is waking up.

Over his heavy duty medical bed is Endri: Standing there, faintly smiling at him with bittersweet tears running down her face.

With some relief, Tyrik mumbles, "Endri."

With a sympathetic hand on his shoulder… Endri says, "Tyrik. I am here."

Uncomfortable sounding, Tyrik admits, "Endri, I…apologize for my abrupt behavior."

Endri mostly assures him, "Tyrik. It's ok. I know well why. I've…just been scared you weren't going to make it back as you."

She's thinking of Captain Kael as she says it.

Tyrik points out, "regrettably, I am uncertain how much. But…I am not a medical officer."

He's putting a hand on his head to check for a implant.

There's still a implant. But, it isn't active anymore: It's been disconnected from deep within the circuits. No more flickering green lights.

Endri pulls her hand away.

As she lets her tears dry… Endri openly admits, "neither was my sister. But, she was there for me on Betazed when no one else in our family was. Faint chuckle. I didn't think of Starfleet as a way to make a difference in my life and other people's lives. But, I'm happy she offered. Except for Borg. Sniffle. They should all be condemned."

Tyrik starts to sit up.

A little off put, he puts to question, "if you didn't know me… Would you condemn me?"

Endri faintly laughs it off, "except I do know you. I know you well to know better: With or without telepathy."

Tyrik firmly nods, satisfied enough with that.

As he gets to his feet… He asks, "where is everyone else?"

Endri answers, "in a briefing. I asked to stay with you. But, if you're ok with going…"

With a heavy sigh… Tyrik reasons, "no. I am not. But…it would be sufficient to go." Endri solemnly says, "ok."

She offers her hand. Tyrik accepts.

Arm in arm, they walk towards the Borg Viewscreen: Where the EMH Doctor is.

Then though… They disappear in a flash of bright white light.

Somewhere out there…

It's the middle of the afternoon.

The conductor rod like structures power the weather control systems, bringing sunny days on land on Earth most any given day. This day is no different.

But, no weather control could blow away what was coming.

On the Bridge of the Section 31 ship…there's Oren and Lore.

Both wear Section 31 uniforms and carry phasers. Although, Lore carries two.

Kind of restlessly… A faintly smiling Lore points to part of the holo-emitter enhanced viewscreen.

He asks, "so this is the "famed" genius child of Captain Picard's brother?"

A picture of Rene is there: Smiling as he's holding up a blue ribbon for his report on starships.

Annoyed sounding, Oren answers, "yes." He's mostly concentrating on piloting.

Lore pulls his hand away. He stands in his own twisted amusement.

He faintly laughs, "good. You know, agent "Oreo No-Can-Be-Efficient"…I thought my true calling was with the Borg. But, this… This is perfect."

With all his antics, Oren looks tempted to take him offline with his bare hands.

Oren mutters back, "we still got a mission, Lore. Or, have you gotten so lost in your emotions that you've forgotten?"

Lore firmly says, "no. I haven't. I don't intend to endanger the mission."

With some relief, Oren figures, "good."

As he starts to turn away… Lore comments, "doesn't mean we can't have fun along the way. Can you imagine Captain Picard's face if he ever finds out I was the one who took his family's future away from him?"

Brushing it off, Oren adds, "no. I can't."

Lore faintly shrugs, "too bad. I rather like the idea."

Looking all too happy… He heads to the airlock to get ready for the mission.

Then… The ship goes to Interwarp: Back in time by a hour.

Hints of physical alien change comes and goes for Oren.

But, in the time the ship takes to warp through the swirls of time and space…a mirror of the Section 31 ship appears: Charging for it.

And, as it's coming out of Interwarp… It crashes right through it.

The flaming ship appears out of nowhere…crashing down into Robert Picard's vineyards in the midst of the consequently raging fire.

As it crashes, Lore holds on to the side of the winding corridor on reflex.

Oren is sent flying back with a hard groan. But, he reaches for a emergency transporter system in the back wall.

A running screaming Rene is transported away from the vineyards...along with Oren.

The ship explodes to flaming pieces: Destroying Lore with it.

The reserve French team of firefighters come with sirens blazing on their mostly blue hovercraft. But, even with putting out the fire in time to save the house… The vineyards, Robert, and Rene are gone.

With tears down her face, Marie searches frantically for them. But, burnt gardening gloves and lots of unexplained debris is all that's found behind the house.

Not long after… A stunned unconscious Rene and a fairly shaken Oren still clutching his side appear: Just several miles off from the French coastline.

Then, a Section 31 ship comes out of Interwarp: Surprisingly not burning up.

For, Lore used his neural net to send out a message to another him from another universe: Something he planned well ahead of time in case of his destruction.

And, piloting this Section 31 ship…is the Mainstream Lore: Reassembled long before by Section 31, just like the alternate Lore.

With a knowing grin, Mainstream Lore beams over Rene and Oren: Before going back into Interwarp.

And, with his calculating positronic brain and processing speed… Lore goes a hour forward back to the relative present. No collision.

As the screen pulls back… Q is seen in front of the Federation Council chambers of the late 23rd century: In his fitting Admiral uniform, and up on the stand where the Federation President would have been.

Mainstream Captain Picard is up there also. Vash is in one of the frontmost seats, faintly smiling with mixed assurance in his direction.

In the other seats are a awake and still kind of hellish looking Jadzia Dax in a cleaner Starfleet uniform, some of Hugh's resistance, some of the EMH Doctor's resistance, a nervous looking Hugh, a uncomfortable looking Kes, the EMH Doctor, Captain Janeway, a hellish looking Tom Paris glaring at her from across the chambers, a uncomfortable looking K'Olagh, the Captain Picard of this universe, Ehras, Amin, a uncomfortable looking Thomas Riker, Commander Shelby, Kellin, a awake Seven from before going into her most recent regeneration cycle, a uncomfortable looking Captain Nog, a nervous looking Doctor Bashir…and even Odo and his complex medium frontless dark brown haired Changeling friend Laas from all the way in the Gamma Quadrant.

Odo is as stuck up looking as he often is. But, he's also faintly teary eyed in a blend of mixed feelings.

Laas looks tempted to faintly smile for these "limited monoforms". For, despite his non-interference natured contempt for solids…it isn't just Odo in favor of this war.

Q, a being with abilities even surpassing a Changeling, is calling for it: In the form of a more jovial "I'll clean up the mess later" kind of human.

Laas doesn't even know what to call this being. But, he doesn't want to admit he likes him: Not even to Odo.

And… Endri and Tyrik appear among the seats next to each other: Like they were already there from the start.

A teary eyed Endri faintly chuckles. She thinks to herself, "figures Q would be dramatic."

Tyrik though just sits there facing down: Half in his own thoughts, and half there trying to hold onto all the new information coming in.

Meanwhile, Sarina is in the Defiant's Sick Bay: Trying to speed up Patrick and Lauren's recovery. Data, the alternate EMH Doctor, and Hannah Bates are on Kes's Olympic class vessel, working up counter-measures for the lightning subspace distortions and for Lore.

The Past Kathryn and the Past Chakotay, having already found out what's going on from Kes, wanted to sleep more to better face the second coming of the lightning subspace storms. And, Magnus, wanting to make sure Voyager is ready for it, decided to stay onboard.

Before the council chambers… Q reviews, "now you know how powerful Lore and Section 31 has become. Almost as powerful as myself, to be quite honest. It's frightening and brilliant. Let me make this quite clear: I'm not defending them for what they did. But, the real question that should be on our minds is: What are we going to do to pick up the cosmic pieces?"

Seven comments, "you're the Q. You should pick them up yourselves."

Some faint chuckles fill the chambers: Not the least of which including Captain Janeway.

Q concludes, "sadly, it's not that simple. I tried. I could only delay the Continuum from collapsing by a matter of hours…which means something or some being is keeping it that way."

The amusement turns back to nervousness.

Doctor Bashir though adds, "that would explain the flashes. They're stars going out: Only delayed in time."

With a slight wave of his hand, Q says, "in a poultry limited way, yes."

Tom Paris concludes, "you could be right. But, I think we all know who really tore away at reality."

Captain Janeway uncomfortably starts to say, "Tom…"

Tom Paris mutters back, "Captain, save it. I don't care what you think anymore. Maybe it was caused by Interwarp. But, Section 31 made the technology."

Odo reasons, "ah. Power corrupts. Well Lieutenant Paris, I kind of hate to break it to you. But, Section 31 hasn't been the only people with, might we say, high ambitions to break the Transwarp barrier?"

Murmurs of agreement and unease fill the chambers.

With a faint laugh, Tom Paris brings up, "that's different: We weren't looking to harm anybody. And, while we're on the subject… Your people didn't exactly have the best reputation in the galaxy."

Exasperated looking, Captain Picard turns over to Q, "what? You're just going to stand there and let us fight each other while the universe is in danger of collapse?"

With his mischievous smile, Q remarks, "why, Mon Capitaine, I thought you'd know a thing or a two about politics."

Captain Picard grimaces. But, deep down, he knows he's been away from being a diplomat for too long to argue.

Mainstream Captain Picard and Vash are tempted to faintly smile at Q's words. But, they don't.

With a faint glare, Odo insists, "this has nothing to do with the Founders. For the record, they were wrong and heartless. I am not defending them either."

Tom Paris is quick to bring up, "and yet you decided to rule the Gamma Quadrant like they would: Until the Borg came and started tearing away at what you built. Now if that isn't power corrupts, enlighten me."

Doctor Bashir starts to say, "Odo, you really don't have to…"

Looking very uncomfortable now… Odo figures, "thank you, Doctor. But, I feel I should. I only did it because no one else was qualified: However reluctantly I took the role. And, also for the record… Your crew tried to break the Transwarp barrier twice. First there was your little paradox. Then, you tried to have a Slipstream drive. In both instances, you ended up going in circles. Now, while your intentions are commendable… Maybe just maybe the Transwarp barrier should stay that way for a reason. We've all seen the results of what happened when Section 31 surpassed it."

Tom Paris reasons more calmly, "okay. Maybe you do have some points." Almost condescendingly, Odo adds, "thank you."

Tom Paris remarks sarcastically, "so just what are we supposed to do to fix reality: Get out with our environmental suits and patch it up with duct tape?"

Heated murmurs and whispers fill the chambers.

Mainstream Captain Picard calls out, "enough! Just everyone calm down."

Everyone is silent: Mostly looking embarrassed. Q just faintly smiles knowingly.

Mainstream Captain Picard then adds lightly, "thank you. Now… If that's really our main concern… How about you get us to the center of this cosmic tear? Then we wouldn't have to turn to Interwarp. Now, would we?"

He's looking right at Q as he asks.

Most everyone looks faintly happier with this.

Q reluctantly shoots it down, "sorry. As much as I would like to just snap my fingers…the state of the universe has become too sensitive for me to just take you there. I can give all of you a push in the right direction. I can bring settings from other times. But, I'm afraid that's all I can do."

Murmurs of unease, reluctant agreement, and disappointment fill the chambers.

Then… Jadzia Dax speaks up, "I know this might not change anything. But, I just got one question: Why are we only seeing this happen now, when the state of the universe started to become weaker six years ago?"

Q reasons, "there is a explanation. But, no one is going to like it. I believe the energy ribbon you all like to call the Nexus passing through the Alpha Quadrant simply delayed the inevitable. After all, in both timelines, Captain Picard was the one who used the energy ribbon to go back in time with Captain Kirk to stop the Veridian star from being destroyed."

Jadzia Dax comments, "you're right. I don't think anyone does."

Vash faintly smirks, "except if nothing else, it gave us a chance to match Section 31 at their own game. Besides, I can like a good adventure."

Both Captain Picards can't help but smirk. Q, Tom Paris, Captain Janeway, the EMH Doctor, Kes, Jadzia Dax, Doctor Bashir, Ehras, and Amin faintly smile to themselves.

Captain Picard supposes, "I know the fabric of reality might be more than a tad sensitive. But, if you can show us all of this… Can you at least show us where my nephew really is? Heavy sigh. Sorry: Our nephews."

With a hand slightly up, Mainstream Captain Picard mostly assures him, "it's all right. Paradoxes can be a nasty business." Captain Picard adds uneasily, "thank you."

Q answers, "unfortunately, Mon Capitaines… No."

Captain Janeway is quick to argue, "I've been getting visits from you and Q Junior for years, Q. And, I may not know much of Q science. But, I know you can do it with a snap."

Like he's talking to a teenager, Q sighs, "Kathryn, Kathryn. That's more complicated than either one of us would like. Me call on the cosmos? Of course I could. You all saw I could. But, unless you want all of reality to crumple for a little more curiosity… I would not advise it."

Mainstream Captain Picard, Captain Picard, and most everyone else is left uneasy.

Sounding more cheerful, Q goes, "oh, come on! Try not to be so gloomy. I know how we care for our lovable tots and snots: Myself included. If I could, I would."

Captain Janeway faintly smiles, "guess that's the closest you get to a compliment, isn't it Q?"

Vash faintly smiles.

Q says openly, "I may not exactly give them out. But, I'm always around for a helping hand: Which is more than I can say for most up in the Continuum."

The chambers are full of faint smiles and reluctant agreements.

Around this time, on the USS Defiant…

Cass and Four are in crew quarters together: With slightly burnt bulkheads over head, and a bunk bed with a cleared away dust pile next to it easily left forgotten.

A very shaken Cass is in one of the silvery rimmed dark blue seats, facing the computer screen and on the verge of tears. Four is in the opposite chair, and only slightly less nervous than before before her.

Not taking it anymore… Four says, "what is concerning you now?"

Cass admits sadly, "Four, I… I would like to tell you. Sniffle! But, you're fatalistic. I don't think you can understand."

Four reasons, "it would not be the first time. But…I would listen to you: Even if I do not really understand."

As a tear falls, Cass slightly chuckles, "true."

With a comforting hand on hers… Four questions again, "so…what is concerning you?"

With a sniffle… Cass reveals, "I escaped to get my life back in my hands again. But…coming back just made it all worse. I kind of wish I could make it up to Tyrik and Endri for my outbursts. But, going anywhere near them would just make it worse than it already is."

Four moves away her hand.

She comments hotly, "I have cause to doubt there is much good in Endri. Tyrik though…?"

Cass is quick to add, "it's not just that." Four uneasily says, "ok."

Cass explains openly, "with all the talk of the Q civil war, so much talk about the fighting down here… Deep sigh. Sniffle! Ever since that first mission…I've been getting less and less sure which is worse: The Q, the Federation, Section 31…and now facing the Vohrsoth seems more and more to be the only chance we have to save what's left in the cosmic garden. Until finding out the truth of who put me in the Classroom, I used to see going with the Q as worse than going against the Borg. Now it's all worse. Sniffle! I'm running out of time, Four: We all are. I'm between Q and human like a breaking up cosmic cocoon…because deep down, I still don't know what to be."

She starts to cry.

Very stunned and pained all at once… A teary eyed Four finds it hard to say what's on her mind.

In Four's mind…

Echoes of the twentieth century ring through.

Green ribboned ice sheet like Freeze ray guns called Cryors were plenty. A rebellion was growing with each passing day.

Four's bondgroup was in a ice cave: Listening to Andorian love songs with tight embraces all around in the dark, like the other Shelthreths going on among the resistance.

Then… Across hundreds of caves… There was a sharp slicing sound.

The music stopped. Andorians rushed for their sparkly silvery crystal armor.

Shelrav was very nervous: Crouching behind her armor like a shield.

Ehras then offered a Cryor to her.

On the subsonic level… Past some sounds… She says with a faint smile, "you worry too much, Shelrav. We're going to get through this."

Shelrav argues nervously, "how do you know? No one has ever sliced through…!"

Ehras calmly says, "that isn't important now. What is is we're stronger together. As long as we're fighting together…no one's going to break up our bondgroup."

Four faintly smiles with a reluctant nod as she takes the Cryor offered her.

But… A certain time traveling Borg Sphere on a test run cuts through all calm.

And, in its place…are tens of thousands of beamed over Andorians to be assimilated: Rebel or not.

Out in the physical…

After a brief but seemingly forever awkward silence… Four says, "Cass…"

Cass looks up, as tears silently keep falling. She questions, "what?"

Four sadly reflects, "sniffle. Cass…I am sorry I can not assist you. If I could get back the Andorian Empire in this universe…I am not sure if I would. If I could get back my Andorian body and not a holographic facsimile…I am not sure if I would."

Silent tears fall.

In spite of their silent tears… Cass kind of assures her, "faint chuckle. Don't be. You being here is more than good enough for me."

They hug each other close.

Over Cass's shoulder, with some mixed relief… Four adds, "you are welcome."


	7. Chapter 7(File I): Throne of Ice Caps

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Historical Log I: Throne of Ice Caps

A long time ago… There was the most ancient Andorian text of all: _The Liturgy of the Temple of Uzaveh_ , carved in the oldest deepest ice cavern of Andor.

It speaks of the divine realm of Uzaveh the Infinite, and of Thirishar.

The throne went by two names: The Empty Throne of Uzaveh, and the Throne of Secrets. But, even its true name is secret to many proto-Andorians.

The ancient texts say they used to be more Yeti like: With fur, and large Andorian antennae down their heads and necks to rise above their blue and green fur. They also spoke of being given life by Uzaveh: Whose power was only matched by his or her high standards of living.

Even ancient texts find it hard to place a gender on Uzaveh. Sometimes he appeared as a blue Andorian man with medium white hair. Sometimes she appeared as a ghostly pale white Andorian woman with long white hair.

Uzaveh chose Andor, a ice moon covered in ice, hoping to carve it into his or her ideal world to live on.

Under Uzaveh's kingdom, Proto-Andorians gave Uzaveh entertainment and comfort where nothing else could live for it. Carnivorous arctic green grass that split open to gobble up bugs, arctic blue weeds, and Andorian roses with blue petals cold to the touch grew in scattered groves ever since.

But, one day… Uzaveh grew tired of Andor. The Andorian being of infinite power was satisfied well enough to choose a next of kin to have the throne.

With the proto-Andorians… A competition was held.

Thirishar rose above the rest in spirit and might.

But, even as he claimed in Andorii "this throne is most deserving of a selfless subject such as me"… Uzaveh felt it was empty somehow.

Somehow, Uzaveh felt he wasn't whole.

So, before the Path of Light leading to the almost icicle like dome styled Throne of Secrets… Uzaveh stood in the light before him, in the form of a Andorian woman.

And, Uzaveh decided:

You might be strong in might. But, a simple competition can not truly prove selflessness. That is as much my fault as anyone else. Therefore… You shall have your spirit torn into four beings: Charaleas, Zheusal, Shanchen, and Thirizaz.

This very kingdom will be torn into four corners of ice to make way for your final test. But, I am not without sympathy: I will give them each a protector from the elements.

Once you reunite with all of yourself… Then the First Kin shall be yourself and more.

Then you shall be as Whole as I am. Then shall you return to me and assume your place at my Throne. And, only then shall I leave this world to you as its rightful ruler.

So it was agreed.

With elemental protectors and many a snowfall… It was far from easy.

But, eventually… After many a battle with humiliated and angry proto-Andorians that lost before Thirishar's hands… And, after many a cave was carved… The first Shelthreth was formed by the First Kin's joyous reunion.

And, it was that day when Uzaveh honored them with many generations of kin from his or her own creation: In Uzaveh's own image.

Uzaveh left Andor that same day. But, the battles were only beginning.

As the next century passed… Proto-Andorians and Andorians without fur were bitter rivals. They even fought over collecting water with ice bowls.

Proto-Andorians though, being hardly a match for long against Thirishar's people, were soon lost to the sinking ice.

Andorians got so joyful over battle that they even made friendly competitions out of collecting water and carving ice sculptures.

But…this came with a heavy price.

Soon, Andorians were competing over wooing each other. And soon, friendly competition turned full swing back to jealousy and battle between clans.

Thirishar was so shocked and torn up over so many lives lost to jealousy…that his four beings within got lives of their own once more.

They decided unanimously to lead clans of their own: Uniting smaller clans and cutting off others.

Charaleas's clan valued wisdom above strength. Zheusal's clan valued strength over wisdom. Shanchen's clan valued a sense of family over joyful times. And, Thiriza's clan valued joyful times over a sense of family.

Another century passed.

There was so much fighting though…that eventually Charaleas's and Zheusal's clans had to conquer it all to stop too many lives from being lost to ice.

The four clans reluctantly created the Andorian Empire together. And, for a time, it was good enough.

There were so many rules, new technology, entire city networks of caves, classes, extremely accurate matchmaking for bondgroups, and celebrations being carried out under the Andorian Imperial Guard that most of the Andorians didn't even have time to stop and think of hating anyone.

Bondgroups and bonding was so common that a good many Andorians started to call it Shelthreths for simplicity's sake.

Uzaveh is often a Andorii word for infinite. But, Uzaaz just means multiple. And, Uzazh means inner light.

The first letters of many ancient Andorii names are starts of words, while some ancient names can mean Andorii words altogether.

Because of their antennae, Andorians feel very strongly on music. It can also greatly affect their mood.

Sad music makes them sadder. Happy music makes them happier. Confusing music makes them confused and dizzy without being used to hearing it. And, angry music makes them angrier.

Music is considered sacred among them: So much so that it's a punishable offense in the Andorian Empire to play sad or angry music in public.

But, when a Andorian shares his or her favorite music, it's a sign of closeness. Sometimes, even a piece of music offered as a gift is like asking someone to go out to dinner.

At the same time, Andorian music has a wide range of vocals.

Some of them go unnoticed to human ears. But, not to Betazoids.

Even for human ears though… Anyone can over time pick up on them if they listen to it over and over long enough.

It can take months for human ears to hear, whereas it can just take several weeks for a Vulcan.

Andorians also have a number of sensory games: Both learning games and not.

They usually give them as gifts to their next of kin to help them not be overwhelmed by their own antennae.

Before Multianics… They came in the form of building blocks.

Some came with voice boxes inside with a lot of different sounds. Some were table sized circuit boards, with a lot of different pathways for electrical sparks to play with.

But, Andorians also don't have a stun setting.

A freeze setting is the closest thing, and that's just with a Cryor.

Electrical shocks and accidental fires are seen as "just learning experiences" to build one's mental strength.

A famous saying among Andorians is "a Andorian without strength is not a Andorian". Another famous saying is "joy runs like blood: It should be preserved and taken care of like one's next of kin."

Andorians with difficulties in the physical sense are regarded as troublesome, but potentially strong in other ways.

Yet, a Andorian with both physical and personal difficulties are seen as cowards and weaklings who deserve "to return to Uzaveh's presence and assume their place at The Infinite's side in a stronger light".

Then, Multianics came along. And, it opened up variety with Multianic learning games.

Multianic boards with screens and multiplayer capability came about: Styled like a circuit board modeled iPad, with a wide library of learning games.

A famous slogan from Multianics Co was "Multianics: Where there's more than one path to The Infinite's light." Another famous slogan under a different Andorian company was "Multianics: Where little beings come far and wide from every corner to become Whole with the Andorian way, bond by bond".

Andorians used to have public schools for a time.

Then, after so much fighting in schools… And, after a surge of popularity with the Multianic boards… The Andorian Empire decided to leave the education to the Multianic boards and the socializing to the families.

When the twentieth century came though… It was becoming clear the Andorian Imperial Guard in their ice rimmed black uniforms was not well liked.

They were seen as slave drivers: Working even the kids and the elderly to exhaustion. They were seen as cruel: Carving up detention time on ice slabs for even the smallest infractions.

Many Andorians grabbed up Cryors and started freezing the Imperial Guard in their tracks. A rebellion of many colors was growing with each passing day.

That wasn't all that was becoming clear though.

Education through Multianic boards has led to many rebellious teenagers among Andorians. Though, many others were quite happy with the way things are.

Then, one day… Across hundreds of caves… There was a sharp slicing sound.

Even the Andorian Imperial Guard could hear it echo into their caves.

Music stopped.

Andorians rushed for their sparkly silvery crystal armor from every faction.

But… A certain time traveling Borg Sphere on a test run cut through all calm left. And, in its place…were tens of thousands of beamed over Andorians to be assimilated: Rebel or not.

There was outcry. There were tears.

In light of this dark turn… All sides very reluctantly agreed to have factions within the Andorian Empire: Hoping "to stop too many lives from being lost to the ice at last, as the clans of Charaleas and Zheusal wholly intended for the future of Andorians and the Andorian way".

But, even after factions arose… The matchmaking was found as necessary for survival of their next of kin and for their way of life.

Many even loved bondgroups: Before and after tensions between the Andorian Imperial Guard.

Many loved technology as much as battle and competition.

By the end of the twentieth century… Andorians had warp capability, the first Andorian Battle Cruisers, neural responsive Multianics integrated into their systems for quick efficient response time, and Multianic force fields that could effectively put someone in a coma like stasis by displacing neural energy and storing it in a ship's infirmary for later.

By the twenty first century… Andorians colonized their first planets as "their first step to seeing as whole the stronger light within: Within Uzaveh, within us, and within The Infinite's Kingdom of Infinite Space".

There was also a neural energy database that came to be called the Uzazhishar, which kept track of every Andorian and caught trespasser down to every non-bondgroup detail.

Not even most of the Andorian Imperial Guard wanted to record bondgroup activities, because of how sacred and important they are to the Andorian way.

Even into the twenty fourth century… Some factions of the Andorian Empire sees rebellious teenagers as outcasts for rejecting their way of life or being kept on record in the Uzazhishar.

Most factions though applaud them for standing up for themselves and their strong emotions: Which is for the most part seen as the Andorian way of life.

But, when the fight with the Dominion came about in the late twenty fourth century… The Andorian way of life itself was put to the test.

The Andorian Empire was hit by a genetics targeting disease. At least one hundred million Andorians were lost in the fallout.

And, it soon became all too clear that the Dominion was responsible.

The Andorian Imperial Guard were already facing massive scrutiny from more non-traditional open minded factions, under a united front calling themselves The Andorian Union.

Out of desperation for the future of Andorians… The Andorian Imperial Guard started forced relocations of all factions to the other two moons.

They orbit the bluish green gas giant orbiting their class M moon known as Andor. And, there was already a good many hidden away Andorian space shelters on other moons for a empire wide crisis such as this: On and off Andor.

But… The Andorian Union did not take this well at all.

They protested. They went to battle over it.

Thousands were lost to space and ice.

But, out of desperation for themselves and their next of kin to survive… The Andorian Empire signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion, and sent every Andorian left back to their factions to rest up and rebuild what's left.

The Andorian Union stopped their protesting. But, embittered by what happened…they soon broke away from the Andorian Empire altogether.

In some timelines, the Andorian Empire came back and prospered.

They went so far as ruling the Alpha Quadrant. And, because of being so massive in numbers, they felt it was best for all to secede from the Federation: To stay in touch with their strong feelings and not have to be as diplomatic as them.

In some timelines, the Andorian Empire fell.

And, in the midst of so many battles, they became a endangered people: Desperate for most any way to ensure the future of Andorians. Some even turned to cloning, with mixed results.

In the main timeline though… It's a little of both: A crossing of paths of light.

They became a endangered people.

But, through voluntary relocation across many planets and moons… They became isolated enough from any interstellar conflict to rebuild and have enough next of kin to go on by the mid twenty fifth century.

Through every timeline, through every corner of space… The Andorians have proven themselves as a vibrant people of joy and strength.

And, somewhere out there… Somewhere in time and space… Uzaveh the Infinite is smiling back at them.


	8. Chapter 8: Birds of Fire and Ion

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 8:

Presently, before the fragments of Bajoran Orbs of twin yesteryears…

Everyone's back on their ships.

Even the first Delta Flyer, Odo's Starfleet issue runabout, forty very dark red circular Dosi battleships with dotted white lines and launchers for silvery blades that can cut into metal, handfuls of very dark blue shell mask like Parada ships, and a fleet of fifteen Ferengi Cruisers with retrofitted Dosi blade launchers are coming at Transwarp: Led by the Grand Nagus himself.

As for the asteroid field?

The Bajoran Orb fragments are beginning to spin: Faster and faster from under the asteroids.

A new Bajoran Orb is forming in the center: A orb swirled in a blue tinted rainbow of light.

And, up there, the Prophets are smiling...with Q bowing before them like he's at a encore for a concert.

Around this time, on the Doctor's Sphere...

Tyrik and Endri are down a corridor, while K'Olagh is on guard with the EMH Doctor's resistance down another.

Sounding worried, Endri wonders, "how are you?"

Tyrik tries to insist, "there is no more cause to "worry" about my condition. I am physically well, which is often a sign of where one is mentally."

He sounds between angry and not. And, that's making Endri nervous.

She comments back, "that could be. But, Vulcans are known for holding back intense feelings for logic. And I know you."

Tyrik mutters shakily, "you do not! Sniffle. You...do not know."

A shaken Endri uncomfortably points out, "no. I think I do."

She offers a hand to Tyrik. But, he stands there: Breathing heavily to stay in control.

After a bit... Tyrik reasons, "I... I know. But still, I have cause to doubt it. I do not know much of who I am any more. How can you?"

Teary eyed, Endri admits, "maybe you're right. But, unless you're not the caring straightforward Tyrik I have come to know... I know you more than you think. Heavy sigh! Just...stop being so hard on yourself for once."

Tyrik just stands there: Nervous looking and not sure what else to say.

Endri then starts to yawn.

More collectively, she figures, "I should rest more. Might help for you to do the same. But, what "do I know"? I'm just trying to help you!"

She then storms off for the bed area.

And, standing there in the corridor is Tyrik: Close to tears as his Vulcan intensity threatens to tear right through his hunched over body.

On the USS Defiant...

Jadzia Dax is in crew quarters: Alone, and standing before a replicator.

She tells the computer, "computer. One tall glass of Black Hole."

A Black Hole drink in a tall glass appears.

Then there's a faint beeping from the closed door.

As she picks up the glass, Jadzia Dax says, "come in."

The door opens.

Doctor Bashir is on the other side of it.

He can't help but notice the troubled look on her face.

He brings up uneasily, "rough day?"

Kind of sarcastically, Jadzia Dax comments, "yeah. Being left for dead can really get you thinking."

She drinks some of her Black Hole.

She's thinking back to a lightning subspace distortion: One that happened to show up in Soukara, in a timeline where Jadzia Dax was down and losing consciousness while Worf went ahead and got the informant out. He of course hoped she'd be there and ready for medical attention by the time he got back.

Doctor Bashir comes in through the doorway, standing before Jadzia Dax.

He solemnly says, "that isn't what I meant. So, how are all of your personalities holding up?"

A teary eyed Jadzia Dax looks up at him, "sniffle. Some are ok. But, Curzon is enjoying this a little too much. And, it hurts."

Doctor Bashir tries to voice what's on his mind, "I don't know how to best say this. I could use your help in guarding our position in this sector and what's left of the Bajoran Orbs floating out there. But, only if you're feeling up to it. Moderate sigh. I understand he can be brash."

Jadzia Dax drinks some more of her Black Hole.

Jadzia Dax puts down the drink onto the gray white table to the side.

Then, she faces him.

Still kind of shaken sounding, she determinedly says, "I'm sure I'm ready. I already lost one timeline to a subspace distortion. I'm not just standing around to lose a second."

With a courteous faint nod, Doctor Bashir faintly smiles, "all right. But, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. There was nothing else you could do."

Jadzia Dax faintly smiles back, as she steps out into the corridor with him.

They start their way up to the Bridge.

When they're a foot away from it though... Jadzia Dax stops.

She says uneasily, "no. There was." Doctor Bashir questions, "what do you mean? I'm not sure I..."

Jadzia Dax looks back at what happened, "I could've called out to him. But, that would just be insensitive to do to him."

Doctor Bashir uneasily nods. And, he says, "I see. Because he's a man of honor."

With surfacing mixed feelings... Jadzia Dax somberly admits, "yeah. Somehow Curzon finds it amusing. My husband who would do anything for me leaves me in the jungle to finish out a mission from Starfleet Intelligence because I said I understand. I know he means well. But, it still hurts."

Doctor Bashir says, "I'm sorry."

Jadzia Dax says, "me too."

In somewhat better spirits, Jadzia Dax highlights, "now...why don't we go help save the universe and give us all something to get a good laugh for?"

Doctor Bashir adds lightly, "sounds good. Better really." Jadzia Dax faintly smiles, "thanks."

Doctor Bashir turns to leave.

He courteously adds though, "you're welcome. I'll be in Sick Bay if you need anything."

Jadzia Dax assures him, "you'll be the first."

With sincerity, Doctor Bashir concludes, "I'm honored."

He continues back for Sick Bay, while Jadzia Dax continues to the Bridge.

She faintly smiles assuringly to herself as she walks through that automatic door.

Meanwhile, in the Mess Hall area...

Lauren and Patrick are sitting at a table, with a viewscreen right in the middle of the area. And, Q is up in front of the viewscreen in his mostly red Starfleet uniform.

It has a diagram with a lot of big red arrows coming down for a star chart of billions of stars, moons, and planets big and small. The arrows are all covered in complex non-linear equations and swirls of what look to be ancient runes.

Patrick is in a solid light tan brown jumpsuit like outfit. Lauren is in her mat styled silky mostly red dress. And, both of them clearly no longer have Trill with them.

Q starts to infer, "so, now that you've made a miraculous recovery..."

Patrick nervously adds, "thank you."

Lauren beams, "it was thanks to the care of the lovely Julian and to Sarina. But, for a man who's lived billions, you sure don't look a day over twenty one."

With a faint smile, Q explains, "well, sadly, I've taken to someone that could very easily pass herself off as your mother. But, thank you for beating for me. I'm always grateful for my adoring fans far and near."

She's a little surprised he's already figured out what's on her mind. She faintly uneasily chuckles.

She's then quick to retort, "was that your abilities talking, or have you been practicing that routine from galaxy to galaxy?"

Q comments lightly, "now that would be telling."

Lauren faintly smiles, "yes, you are. If you're still getting annoyed with her, there's always me."

Q awkwardly goes, "oh! Oh, I almost forgot. Where were we?"

Lauren slightly glares: Knowing he's purposely changing the subject.

Patrick thinks out loud, "you were going to ask us to help monitor the spatial rift you're creating, and get together with Julian to come up with a way to repair the multiverse after the subspace distortions stop."

Q claps. And, he says, "very good!"

With a light shrug, he figures, "well then, you obviously don't need me. I'll let you two not-so-limited geniuses carry on with your miracle."

With a snap of his fingers, he vanishes back out into space.

Lauren sighs with frustration and disappointment.

Like he often does, Patrick asks worriedly, "was it something I said?"

Lauren uneasily admits, "no. He didn't want to stay anyway. But, there's no time like now to start up a miracle."

Patrick uneasily asks, "without the Doctor or Jack? Can we?"

With a faint smile, Lauren mostly assures, "even if Julian is too busy, there's Sarina. Besides, without Jack... We could even think clearer. Do more."

Patrick tries to point out, "but don't we like Jack?"

Lauren faintly laughs. She remarks, "when he's not scaring people away. He's not going to be happy when he comes back from assimilation no matter what we do. It might as well be on something minor to help him feel better."

Patrick nervously figures, "maybe I should hide then."

Lauren lightly says, "you'll be the first. But, that's not now. So, let's get started."

A few minutes later...

In almost no time at all... The newly made Bajoran Orb is swept in a flash of bright blue tinted light.

And, in its place is a rapidly expanding opening for a cream like dark yellow blue tinted subspace undercurrent.

All the way in the Gamma Quadrant... Another rapidly expanding opening just like it opens up before the coming fleet.

From the first Delta Flyer... Tom Paris moderately sighs. He adds to himself, "right. It's now or never. I can do this."

Over communications, Odo checks, "if anyone has any doubts of our mission, you can turn back now. Save time for all of us."

From the Grand Nagus's Ferengi Cruiser... Quark in his usual attire naturally answers.

He figures, "well, if you're so eager to get a bartender going back to his bar... I'll tell you what I do. I'll give everyone one round for free."

Odo faintly smiles. He quickly comments, "as much as I would like to just let you go... Just what would the Grand Nagus say about one of his most "trusted" advisors leaving him when he's most needed?"

Quark awkwardly goes, "umm...right. Rhetorical question. Forget I ever said it."

He cuts off communications.

Odo just faintly laughs.

To all ships... Q checks, "ready?"

Both Captain Picards, Tom Paris, Captain Janeway, the EMH Doctor, Ehras, Commander Shelby, and Grand Nagus Zek all quickly say yes.

Odo adds, "ready and tidy as we'll ever be out here."

Over communications, Nog adds, "good luck."

Grand Nagus Zek says, "why thank you, Nog."

Quark is standing beside him, rolling his eyes annoyedly at how long this seems to be taking.

Most everyone else hastily gives their thanks out to Nog.

Q says, "all right. Best of luck on saving the universe. Bon voyage Mon Capitaines. Hold on tight to your seat belts... Ohh, right. Well, hold on to your consoles. You're going to need them."

Tom Paris adds kind of sarcastically, "gee, thanks."

Captain Janeway, the EMH Doctor, Thomas Riker, and Amin faintly chuckle to themselves.

The USS Defiant, the few Andorian Battleships, Amin's Delta Flyer 2.0, and the few mostly refitted Hazari ships stay in orbit over the asteroid field.

The cosmic radiation coming off of the few Bajoran Orb fragments is anchoring them between the asteroids in a little rift of its own.

But, with the power of Q, the radiation won't pierce through as long as he's floating over them. And, as soon as the spatial rift is closed on this end, they can pull away at impulse to be far enough to not still be hit by the cosmic radiation.

The fleet doesn't even have to go to warp. The pull from the twin spatial rifts pulls them right in.

They close behind them in seconds.

Everything is soon becoming a blur. But, nothing sensors can't penetrate.

The ships are creaking and shaking from the sheer stress of it. Everyone's holding onto the armrest on their chairs just to keep from flying out of them.

From the USS Voyager... Captain Janeway calls out, "one quarter impulse. Hold her steady!" A Hazari at the Helm says, "yes, Captain."

From Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht... Captain Picard says, "steady as she goes."

He's holding himself against a corner of wall. The Mainstream Captain Picard is doing likewise with the opposite corner: With Vash holding tightly to him.

One of the Andorians in the front calls back, "we're working on it!"

From the Grand Nagus's Ferengi Cruiser... Grand Nagus Zek orders, "don't move at warp unless we must. We can't afford insurance outside of the Quadrant!"

A Ferengi officer at the Helm nods back, "yes, sir."

They're zooming past distorted hints of derelict ships that came out of subspace distortions. Destroyed or assimilated by Borg, it's too hard to tell. But, what is clear is some hints of Borg Environmental Probes that whirl by.

They're coming around the super massive black holes at the very center of the galaxy. And, like a slingshot, they're going even faster.

Time itself seems to slow down. But, the bulkheads don't creak anymore than they are already.

But, then... There's trouble.

Whirls of very sharp reddish orange light try to strike them down.

Two Ferengi Cruisers, one of Hugh's Spheres, and ten Dosi battleships explode in blurs of flames.

From the USS Voyager... Captain Janeway says, "report!"

Lydia Anderson reports nervously, "two hundred Pah-Wraiths, closing fast."

Captain Janeway mutters, "damn!"

After a bit... She insists, "sniffle. We proceed as planned. Evasive maneuvers. Full thrusters."

The Hazari Helm officer is quick to carry out her order.

To his fleet... The Grand Nagus calls out, "all ships, go to warp: Now!" The Ferengi Helm officer says, "yes, sir."

Some Dosi, some of Hugh's resistance, Tom Paris, and some of the Parada all say, "understood."

Hugh's Spheres and the Grand Nagus's fleet whirls around in a ball of flying warp nacelle lights: Firing blade weapons, Borg tractor beams, proton particles, and phasers to take down fifty five Pah-Wraiths at once.

The Doctor's Sphere, the USS Voyager, and the others keep going.

A burst from the blurring flames almost destroys them.

And, from behind them...are Orrak's and Dukat's faces: Twistedly grinning at them from the depths of the flames.

From the Doctor's Sphere... The EMH Doctor checks, "where is Kellin?"

At the Borg viewscreen... A teary eyed Hannah Bates says, "I...don't know. I lost the sensor lock on her before I could beam her out."

The EMH Doctor sighs heavily.

He adds, "very well. Let me know if you find anything." Hannah Bates confirms solemnly, "understood."

Around then...

Cass and Four are still in their quarters: Looking out to it all from the very dimmed down computer screen with faintly teary eyes.

They're close together, hands touching.

They already know what vision the other is thinking on. And, in this point in time, no more need be said.

Seconds later...

A spatial rift opens up over the edge of the Delta Quadrant.

There are three metallic looking planets. There's some ships out there. And, ten lightning subspace distortions are between them all: Making it very hard to see anything without dimming lights or a Astrometrics.

The Doctor's Sphere, the USS Voyager, the USS Excalibur, and Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht come out of the rift...burning hot.

Their shields are completely burned out from the sheer heat of the blurring flames back there.

The lights are flickering across all decks. And, the fire suppression systems are barely kicking in.


	9. Chapter 9: With Fire for All

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 9:

A few seconds later, onboard Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht…

The fire is spreading across the walls.

Most of the lights go out. Warp coils blow off.

One of the Andorians in front calls out, "get a Cryor on that fire!"

The other Andorian grabs a Cryor from a compartment in the nearest bulkhead.

He goes over to freeze blast the flames into shattering ice fast, while the remaining fire suppression system puts out the rest.

Soon, red emergency lights cover the interior of the yacht.

The Mainstream Captain Picard is clutching his arm, groaning hard against the bulkhead. Vash is groaning as she's pulling herself up.

As his senses are coming back... Mainstream Captain Picard checks, "Vash? Are you all right?"

As her senses are coming back... Vash kind of sarcastically faintly laughs, "once I start seeing things again, I'll be sure to let you know."

Mainstream Captain Picard faintly smiles back.

He goes over to a pile of debris.

Shattered ice is around it. A whole section of wall has exposed circuits.

He pushes the debris away...when he hears some coughing underneath.

A hand is sticking out.

With no hesitance... Mainstream Captain Picard helps up a fairly shaken Captain Picard.

Captain Picard uneasily says, "thank you."

Mainstream Captain Picard diplomatically nods, "of course. The important thing is though: Are you all right?"

A teary eyed Captain Picard heavily sighs.

He figures, "Captain, I haven't had a mission go right in three months. At least, I think it has been. Ask me again when Section 31 is stopped along with the entire multiverse from collapsing. Then I will be."

Kind of defeatedly, Mainstream Captain Picard concludes, "faint chuckle. Fair enough. We still got the final curtain to get through. Still... They're both our nephews. We should find them together."

Captain Picard uncomfortably considers, "with all due respect...who tried to warn Cass not to go after Lore in the first place? He's from your universe, Captain. If anyone can stop him, it's you and Data."

Kind of uneasily, Vash acknowledges, "Jean-Luc...your "cosmical twin brother" might have a good point."

Mainstream Captain Picard reasons, "perhaps. But, Data in this timeline has hidden away his emotion chip in case something could overwhelm him: Particularly any Borg Queen across Borg space. I don't think Lore is going to have much of a advantage if he can't give him negative emotions. Is that not so?"

Captain Picard considers openly, "it is. You know... It's beginning to sound like the best course of action then is for Data and me to beam onboard Section 31's ship and get our nephews out. With any luck, Lore will come out of his shuttle and try to stop us from doing just that."

Mainstream Captain Picard nervously brings up, "I'm not saying you aren't capable. I am concerned though you might be too...emotionally involved with Section 31 in this timeline."

Captain Picard concludes firmly, "thank you for your concern. But, at the heart of all of this...we're fighting for our universe. A fight to survive, so that our children and their children can come home again. If we're not to repeat the grave mistakes of the past in our universe and rebuild with what we have, it has to be us they turn to for guidance: Not another universe's Captain. Not another universe's intelligence agent. Otherwise, however good intentioned he or she might be... It could bring about another cataclysm to all universes. Now, I may not have always followed the Prime Directive to the letter in my career. For that matter, neither have you. But, in this case...I think I speak for all of us when I say it should be given consideration more carefully."

Mainstream Captain Picard solemnly voices, "a excellent point. Just... Just remember not to let yourself be emotionally compromised. In both timelines, we lost our brother. I don't want to lose another."

Vash faintly smiles to herself: Knowing full well they're not coming to blows.

Captain Picard faintly nods, "I understand. Thank you. I've faced worse at the hands of Borg Queens. I'm damn sure I'm ready. Now more than ever."

Mainstream Captain Picard faintly smiles, "very well. Good luck, Captain."

They shake on it.

Captain Picard adds, "and good luck to you, Captain."

Meanwhile, on the USS Voyager...

The bulkheads are burnt across the dimly lit Bridge. But, the fire suppression system is holding.

Captain Janeway moves out from some debris. She groans as she makes her way back to what's left of her chair.

She calls out, "Miss Anderson...status?"

With mixed relief, Lydia Anderson reports, "emergency force fields are holding at eighty percent. Structural integrity is at sixty percent. We lost shields and weapons. We're fortunate to be alive, ma'am."

Captain Janeway deeply sighs, "very well. We'll celebrate later." She hails Main Engineering, "Main Engineering. Get Hazari repair crews..."

The Hazari Helm officer is kind of quick to point out, "Captain...Hazari have hired repair crews for years. Very few of us have had to make repairs ourselves."

Captain Janeway mutters under her breath, "fine. I'll make most of the repairs myself. It's going to be one of these days."

She's already fast walking over to the turbolift with its barely on lights.

Around this time, back on the USS Defiant...

From Cass's and Four's Quarters... There's a beep at the automatic door.

Cass goes to answer it.

With a faint uneasy smile... Sarina stands there on the other side of the open door.

She has in hand a mostly light blue rectangular cargo container with a silver handle.

Sarina asks to the point, "I know this doesn't look to be a good time. But...can I talk to you alone?"

Four is standing in the middle of the room: Looking kind of nervous Cass's way, but trying to hide it.

With a faint uneasy smile... Cass tells her, "you can be on guard outside, Four. This isn't going to take long."

Sounding fairly ok, Four acknowledges, "that could be sufficient."

She stands outside their Quarters to stand guard: In case of any more surprise visits from Pah-Wraiths or Q.

The door closes behind Four. Cass sits back down in one of the chairs.

Impatient sounding, she goes, "ok. What is it?"

Sarina considers, "moderate sigh. I might have only seen you a few times on the ship. But, I already know what you're feeling."

She sits down opposite her.

Cass remarks, "faint chuckle. Yeah. We're professional mind readers. Sorry. But, unless you got a goose with cosmic eggs, I don't think there's really anything you can do."

With a slightly brighter smile... Sarina hints, "it's interesting how close you are."

Sounding a little better... Cass urges her on, "ohh. Sorry. Then go ahead."

Sarina adds, "thanks."

Cass wipes away some of her lingering faint tears.

Sarina explains, "I know another Captain Picard told you not to go after Lore. It wasn't really hard for me to figure out."

Cass sarcastically mutters back, "yeah. And where can I start liking this plan?"

In a mostly delicate way in her own excitement at the thoughts running in her head... Sarina explains on, "I'm getting to that, Cass. They considered the highest probabilities of success with other plans."

Cass starts to suddenly realize, "you mean Kes's team?"

Sarina concludes, "yes. Given the circumstances, Data thought it was the only best kind of plan. The Doctor and Kes from another universe were not very sure. Hannah wasn't very sure herself. Dax, Julian, the Doctor and his resistance team were very reluctant about it. But, I know you want to not just save universes: You want to try to bring peace to all you can. I think all of us understand that one way or another. So, after a little convincing with Kes... You and Four will get your chance."

Cass looks stunned by all of this: Taking it all in, like a forgotten dream given light again.

After a bit... She says, "I... I don't know what to say."

Sarina assuringly adds, "it's all right. I'm sure a thank you would be all right too though."

Cass faintly smiles back, "well, thank you." Sarina figures lightly, "sure."

She bends over to the cargo container on the floor to open it up.

She suggests, "so...here's what you'll likely be bringing with you."

Inside the cargo container are two mostly silvery type 7 phase discriminators on black armbands, a silver belt with eight hyposprays dosages for Cass, and a combadge for Four tuned to the communications channel of the USS Defiant in case of a emergency.

Cass says brightly, "all right! Now we can really be ready for whatever the cosmos throws our way."

Sarina adds, "I'm glad you like it."

Cass admits happily, "actually, I love it. If I come back to this universe to live my life here... Remind me to get you as big a present for your birthday."

Blushing a little... Sarina says, "I'm more simple than that myself. But, thank you for suggesting it."

Cass has already gotten up.

She's putting on the silver belt herself.

And, as she does... Cass adds, "you're welcome."

Meanwhile, on the USS Excalibur...

Across the ship...the hanging lights crash down in bursts of flame.

Most of the lights burn out across the Bridge: Not the least of which including the burning out viewscreen.

The fire suppression system though is holding.

Against the sudden sharp glare of the red emergency lights... Commander Shelby barely gets out of her chair: Holding onto the side of the center of the Bridge to help herself go further up without tripping over something.

She calls out, "Tom? Tom?!"

Between hard coughing... Thomas Riker answers, "right here. Moderate sigh. I've had to reroute life support through secondary couplings. Looks like we won't be using the holodeck anytime soon though."

He's under a half torn off bulkhead, wiring the circuits by hand without gloves after many years of solitary work in isolation on a certain planet.

With some amusement, Commander Shelby insists, "that's ok. I wasn't in the mood to go back down there anyway. We got a job to do."

She's now standing in front of him.

Thomas Riker solemnly says, "right. How are we with the phasers?"

Commander Shelby moves over to Tactical to check.

She reports, "our shields are destroyed. So are the phasers. Tom?"

Thomas Riker lowly mutters, "what? You think we should abandon ship and take our chances on the surface? In how many pieces?!"

He pulls himself away from wiring to get up on his feet and face her like a uptight professor at Starfleet Academy.

Commander Shelby deduces, "I wasn't. Heavy sigh. Tom... I know you're angry at the Borg and most of Starfleet."

Thomas Riker argues, "why shouldn't I? Starfleet Intelligence, Section 31... As far as I'm concerned, it's all dirty games with them. Don't tell me you haven't thought the same thing, Shelby. I know you have."

Commander Shelby slightly looks down. She voices uneasily, "I'm not sure I do know anymore. Fighting has been most of everything we've been doing for the past two years. For all we know, Starfleet Intelligence went down with most of the fleet. Surviving is more important now. And whatever shape the universes are going to be in after we go and save them, we have the chance to rework it from the ground up."

Thomas Riker is finding it hard to look back at her as he deeply sighs over the Bridge's railing.

As he turns to face her... He admits, "sorry. I never really thought of that. It's difficult. It all is."

With a sympathetic hand on his... Commander Shelby faintly smiles.

She suggests, "yeah. It is. I don't know what ships are out there now. But, once the shuttle bay is fully online, one of us could go down to the surface of one of those metallic planets and look for weapons that can fit on the ship."

Thomas Riker figures, "sounds good: If we can get past the ships."

Commander Shelby reasons, "I have a feeling the Doctor is already working on it. We'll find out soon enough if it's enough."

With a faint smile, Thomas Riker mostly assures, "I'm sure it will be."

Commander Shelby faintly smiles back as she starts heading down the turbolift to the shuttle bay: Blinking lights and all.

Meanwhile, on the Doctor's Sphere...

Force fields seem to be holding. Very little damage other than the shields.

The dimmed down Borg viewscreen shows some spheres coming out from orbit of the metallic planets. They're too far to make out much. But, streams of red lights are plenty along their sides.

The EMH Doctor is looking over to it.

He looks again nervously, "this doesn't make any sense. Sensors indicate they are Borg Spheres. But, they're no bigger than... What's wrong?"

Hannah Bates looks paler than ever.

She reports, "we got a probe in a Particle Subspace Bubble: Decloaking forty five degree off our...!"

A explosion goes off a few decks below...shaking the Borg Sphere to the core.

The Borg viewscreen blows off. Flames are raging through the corridors.

The EMH Doctor cries out, "Hannah! ! !"

Hannah Bates is lying on the floor, unconscious before the rising smoke.

Hard coughing from the other members of the Doctor's resistance echo through the corridors. They walk hurriedly around to try to find him, Endri, Tyrik, or Hannah Bates.

The EMH Doctor calls out, "doctor to all hands: Prepare to abandon ship!"

He quickly interfaces himself with what's left of the Sphere to manually beam them all out.

They beam down to the surface of one of the metallic planets...as the Sphere explodes into flaming pieces in space.

Out in the distance... The blurs of Borg Spheres gradually change course for the other ships.


	10. Chapter 10: Blasts of Defiance

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 10:

Around then, by the edge of the Alpha Quadrant...

Three Borg vessels are just coming out of Transwarp, surrounding the asteroids around the Bajoran Orb fragments from all sides.

With less cosmic radiation around for the Borg to worry about, the Borg have sent Breen Borg vessels to finish off what's left.

They're Cube sized scorpion like mostly dark gray Breen vessels, with dark green Borg lights. Menacing strips of corridors line the sections, rigidly shaped like cold shadows.

They're decked out in arrays of specially modified dark greenish gray Borg neural truncheons, capable of causing instant unconsciousness to personnel in a unshielded section of ship with help from integrated Vidiian transporter technology.

Borg Environmental Probe chambers within these vessels can draw in cosmic radiation like a vacuum and dissipate cosmic radiation from within, with help from Breen energy dissipating weapons.

They're very likely here for one thing though above all else: Assimilation of the rest of Doctor Bashir's think tank.

With that much brainpower, they could play crazy cosmic tic-tac-toe with the lightning subspace distortions: With all resistance against them turned into Xs and Os in fading away flashes before the dark.

But, with Captain Nog in command of the USS Defiant in the here and now, this is as good a time as any to go into the dark of space to fight the dark.

He inquires very uncertainly, "what kind of drones are piloting those ships? I've never seen this kind of class of Borg."

Bordering on nervous, Okala reports, "they're Breen, sir."

Jadzia Dax is at Tactical.

She very reluctantly challenged the Klingon to a fight to get to be at Tactical: Knowing the Maquis needs all the help they can get, particularly with the multiverse being in danger and her legendary level expertise in Astrometrics.

But, Nog purposely greased the Bat'leths to be too slippery to hold so that the best they could do was wrestle for it. And, knowing a good deal of Klingon weak spots and anatomy, Jadzia Dax won.

Right now, Captain Nog looks like he's about to slip out of his seat and fall. Yet, even with his faintly teary eyes, he brushes the fear within aside.

He mutters, "great. Divert all power to shields. Come about, course 410 mark 056."

With some mixed kind of hesitance, the Andorian Helm officer points out, "captain...that would take us in close range of the lead vessel."

Captain Nog confirms firmly, "exactly. We'll set a collision course and beam inside if we have to."

The Klingons smile at the thought of beaming in to battle. Even the former Tactical officer who's been sulking in the corner smiles to himself over it.

With a faint smile, the Andorian Helm officer figures, "understood. Course set."

Captain Nog adds, "good. All ships... Make a perimeter on my mark. Have emergency protocols ready as discussed." From Hazari to Andorian, several captains respond, "understood."

As the last metric ton of radiation is swept away... Captain Nog orders, "engage."

The USS Defiant speeds right for the first Borg Breen vessel.

The Hazari and Andorian ships are breaking off to fire at the other two Borg Breen vessels, while Amin from her Delta Flyer is sending off emergency torpedoes with bottled up antimatter streams and waves of telepathic thoughts to mask them in the dark from the Borg's sensors.

The Hazari and Andorian ships are being bombarded by energy dissipating weapons.

They're firing off emergency torpedoes to scatter the dissipation while they fire EM pulse cannons and directed energy beams at sections of the Borg Breen vessels.

The EM pulses are taking down sections of shields easy. But, even with the antimatter streams helping matters for the Maquis forces, their shields won't last long.

The USS Defiant is taking a heavy beating as it comes about, firing dark red directed energy beams. But, the Breen Borg vessel's shields aren't even slightly damaged.

And, even with all the modifications and repairs, the USS Defiant's shields are fluctuating dangerously low.

The Bridge shakes hard.

Okala reports, "shields are down!"

Lights go out. Emergency lights come on automatically.

The USS Defiant sharply whirls up. It barely avoids six hundred tiny Borg nanoprobes, transporting out from all three Borg Breen vessels's neural truncheons.

Everyone struggles to hold on from the sudden change in direction.

Jadzia Dax comments, "still don't think reprogramming them is a good idea?"

Captain Nog voices, "I have no problem with salvaging. But, I will never have mercy for a Borg."

Jadzia Dax uncomfortably murmurs, "good thing Seven isn't on this ship."

Blatantly ignoring it, Captain Nog adds, "no matter. Have you found any weakness in their defense?"

Jadzia Dax is still a little rattled. But, she ignores it for now.

She highlights, "yes. I'm detecting Borg Environmental Probe technology in their undersides, and they're very flammable."

Captain Nog faintly grins, "perfect. Target the underside and fire."

With a faint smile, Jadzia nods, "I already got a lock."

The USS Defiant comes about, firing a few bottled up antimatter stream torpedoes for a precise lock on the heavily fortified underside of the first Borg Breen vessel.

A cold bright blue fire sweeps through the edges of the chambers below, destroying them with the vessel in just seconds.

With help from Vidiian transporter technology though, a escape hatch transports a entire Borg Breen Sphere out of the flaming wreckage.

The other two Borg Breen vessels slowly back away, while the USS Defiant is coming about for them next.

Around then, on the edge of the Delta Quadrant...

As the Borg Spheres move closer... The streams of light become clearer.

They're the size of starships. But, no Borg drone is onboard.

Their rigidly cobbled together bright red light Borg lights flicker from centuries of neglect and isolation. Yet, the scrap like emitters underneath are roaring something fierce like it just came out of a Borg Cube for its first flight.

On the surface of the metallic planets, there's nothing but networks of crude half open looking Borg Environmental Probe styled containment chambers. They have bright white Borg lights amidst a very dark blue rustic metal frame, like a grid of highways with no end and no stops.

Misshapen cobbled together pitch black to light red alien parts for sea ship styled Borg shuttles are plastered with dark green Borg panels inside and out. Borg maturation chambers and Borg alcoves are gathered up in every chamber, in gray Borg lights and covered in wire covered gray tubes along with the smell of remnant sewer water like liquid. But, what's bizarre is there doesn't seem to be a single Borg drone to be seen. From the surface, everything looks shut off or on a constant fluctuating reboot cycle.

Yet, in a dimly lit containment chamber... There's a Borg Queen. A very primitive looking Borg Queen.

She has a bony very dark grayish brown and gray spider like build, with four backup Borg arms with very dark grayish brown pincer like non-retractable assimilation tubules over her main Borg arms. Her main Borg arms are just gray. But, they're equipped with yellowish green mini-tachyon pulse cannons fortified with heavy metal: Capable of easily temporarily disorienting space and causing immediate unconsciousness to most any humanoid life.

The mysterious Borg Queen has opened a channel.

With faint electronic feedback between the words... The 1.0 Borg Probes state, "we are...Borg. You...are in question. What...is...your designation?"

They're apparently the starships sized Spheres: Fully autonomous, with just still pictures of Borg alcoves with corridor wide tube styled dark gray voice boxes to show themselves over subspace channels.

In a faintly done woman's voice... The Borg Queen explains, "I am Queen 5 of Protoplanet Adjunct 302. The ships out there are not for assimilation: They are Borg. The Borg have been reexamining and planning a efficient means to assimilate the Doctor's resistance. We came back to this system to reconstruct Protoplanet Adjunct Queens to conduct tests to improve Borg Queen arms with greater efficiency. But, with the Doctor's already demonstrated capability of taking over our systems, we maintained silence on our reexamination and progress until it would become relevant to state our intentions."

The 1.0 Borg Probes power down their weapon systems.

They conclude, "that appears to be efficient. But...what of the unassimilated individuals with you?"

Then, all of a sudden... There's phaser fire. Conduits explode.

The signal in the chamber quickly starts to deteriorate.

In his normal voice and holographic parameters... The EMH Doctor changes back from the Protoplanet Borg Queen holographic parameters.

He says almost casually, "I'm sorry. Your Queen had to regenerate. She is no longer conscious."

The transmission cuts off.

But, before the 1.0 Borg Probes can fire... They power down.

The EMH Doctor managed to find and download enough information from the database on this Borg homeworld to pass himself as one of the very first Borg Queens: Long enough to interface with the Borg Homeworld's communications network and take over the 1.0 Borg Probes's power systems.

The EMH Doctor's resistance though phasered off the main communications system, ensuring whatever was running those Borg Probes doesn't try to override the Borg Homeworld's own systems and the EMH Doctor's own mobile emitter for the Borg Collective against them all.

All the lights in the Borg Homeworld go out for a few seconds before automatically coming back on. But, the force fields in the containment chambers and most all the key systems seem to be working.

Hannah Bates breathes a sigh of relief. She figures, "amazing. I wasn't sure it would work. But, we got it."

The EMH Doctor uneasily adds, "you're not the only one."

Hannah Bates faintly nods with a faint smile.

She goes back there to check the damage and see what can be salvaged.

The EMH Doctor breathes a sigh of relief himself.

What they haven't detected yet is that there's three starships coming out from the far side of the lightning subspace distortions: All with faint markings of Galaxy class starships, all cautiously approaching the first Borg Homeworld.

Meanwhile, on a Borg Queen vessel...

Four star decorated mostly devilishly very dark blue tube like pillars of Borg tech stands in the center, surrounding the main crude looking silvery tube like Borg Queen's module. Dark green Borg panels and very dark blue star decorated panels line the floor like a fractured checker board.

Two Borg Queens and several Borg drones of the highest efficiency level are standing before the tube like modules, interfacing with them with Borg assimilation tubules and pressing very few buttons.

With a Jem'Hadar face... A Borg Queen reports, "the EMH has taken over Borg Homeworld Two of Three."

With a almost musical and yet methodical voice... A Borg drone with crude silvery tripolymer based plating concludes, "it has become too inefficient of a situation. We should destroy the Borg Homeworlds and the EMH's resistance unit in grid 0000001."

With a Betazoid face... The second Borg Queen accesses, "no. The Borg Probes in grid 0000001 have some of the most efficient scanning technology in the space-time continuum. We should have detected the EMH's deception sooner. That is, unless..."

The Borg drone with android resembling plating realizes, "...the Vohrsoth are in grid 0000001. Their telepathic abilities can slow communications without detection: Even our voices in the Collective."

The first Borg Queen mutters, "the Vohrsoth are there. The only efficient way to destroy both sides of this conflict now is to wait until the EMH and Cass lead us to them. Until then, we will build up the means to destroy the Vohrsoth and the rest of the Maquis with high levels of resistance. There are only a handful of Maquis vessels in grid 0000001, and none are in communications range of other handfuls of Maquis vessels. Their attempts to discover our origin will be destroyed with them."

The second Borg Queen reasons, "we will assimilate who remains. Janeway is commanding one of those vessels. But, it is not relevant here."

Almost challengingly, the first Borg drone comments, "then why did you bring it up?"

There's a cold pause.

They don't answer. Both Borg Queens just glare blankly at her: Like she's just recently been assimilated.

But, they all know that isn't the case. This Borg drone is a drone with prototype drone systems: A prototype with Doctor Noonien Soong's technology and research integrated into her assimilated body, as a means to protect the Borg Collective from Data if the time comes.

The prototype Borg drone answers, "understood. Very efficient."

The first Borg Queen concludes, "yes. Very efficient."

They all turn back to their modules, scanning the entire galaxy for Borg resistance like they were doing.

Across the Borg Collective though... Most of the voices conclude, "perhaps we have given the prototype too much of Soong's technology. We should watch her closely. Make sure she does not break away from us."

Most of them agree, "understood. She will not. We will not have another inefficient situation. We will disconnect her without warning if we have to."

The prototype Borg drone doesn't say anything against the voices. But, with some confusion...she notices her eyes are faintly teary.

Believing it's nothing relevant, she continues scanning.

But, in her head, she has a faint feeling it's not irrelevant.

And, while she does her best to not show anything of such a "irrelevant nature" to the Collective...that shakes her. But yet, she just can't remember why.


	11. Chapter 11: With Metaphasic Epsilon

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 11:

Not long after, on the edge of the Delta Quadrant...

Like a page from a autonomous tech manual... The backup communications have very recently got switched on: Thirty seconds after all the lights in the Borg Homeworld came back on, by interfacing with backup systems by assimilation tubules and switching force field emergency power to them.

With all the still active force fields on the surface, emergency power is in spades.

But, with the new hails, concerns among the EMH Doctor's resistance are pushed to the side for caution. And, with most everyone else up in orbit so focused on repairs and the like...they're the only ones with capable systems on hand to respond at the moment.

From the other end of one hail... There's the USS Teros: A galaxy class starship.

The Bridge is with a dark red floor. The Bajoran crest is on a clear white orb decorated dark gray wall. A crest with half a black oval lined in bright yellow, blue around a silvery letter A, and red around a silvery letter B is on another.

Alpha and Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar are standing by most of the stations, without tubes by their necks. Some uneasy looking Bajorans are at some.

The Julian Bashir of this starship is standing between the rung lined dark gray pillars, before his Captain's chair. A somewhat small scar is down the right side of his face, and his hair is kind of unkempt.

Kind of nervous but kind of cheerful sounding... Captain Bashir greets, "hello."

The EMH Doctor responds just as nervously, "hello."

Captain Bashir concludes warily, "if I'm not mistaken, you seem to be a Borg EMH. Are you a friend or a enemy?"

A little uneasy by the association... The EMH Doctor gets to the point, "on the contrary. We're a Maquis crew, who have freed ourselves from the Borg: With my help, of course. It's a long story. But, after a brief struggle, it appears we've taken over this Homeworld. See for yourself."

He and Hannah Bates relay information, from his modified mobile emitter and her Borg assimilation tubules in a side Borg panel.

Captain Bashir is going over the information super quick, looking down it.

Captain Bashir says, "ah. I see. My apologies. Also...my condolences on our mutual friend Jack in your universe."

The EMH Doctor concludes firmly, "no need to apologize, Captain. Still, thank you." Captain Bashir adds, "you're welcome."

The EMH Doctor questions warily, "so... About the Jem'Hadar on your vessel?"

With a faint smile, Captain Bashir reasons, "fair enough. See for yourself, Doctor. We're transmitting the information to you now."

The EMH Doctor begins to go over the information super quick on the side of the Borg viewscreen, while still facing Captain Bashir. The planets Betazed, Bajor, and Cardassia come up as destroyed on the reports.

Teary eyed, he solemnly says, "I see. My condolences on the worlds you lost in your universe."

Captain Bashir grimly figures, "thank you, Doctor. But, we can compare histories later. As far as I understand it, all three of the Borg Homeworlds here are abandoned. I can't explain why. But, that's not our immediate concerns. The multiverse is at risk of being destroyed by a prototype warp engine of some kind. And, for free Jem'Hadar and humans alike...I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd like to survive and partake in desires in good faith in the universes we call home."

The EMH Doctor concludes sympathetically, "easier said than done. But, thank you." Captain Bashir adds, "you're welcome."

The EMH Doctor deduces grimly, "the Borg and temporal distortions are everywhere in this galaxy. And, the Pah-wraiths don't seem to be helping. But, we can always use another doctor."

Captain Bashir faintly smiles, "I'd be happy to help."

After another thank you, the EMH Doctor ends the transmission.

He then answers another hail. It's priority two. But, it's flashing a lot in grayish green on the corner of the crude Borg viewscreen.

On the other end of the hail... There's a USS Enterprise E's Bridge. It's barely held together by bluish force fields around the burnt down bulkheads.

Most of the consoles have gone to ash. But, Borg panel circuitry and half exposed black radial force compensator rods line the burnt very compact rung styled bulkheads on the sides of the Bridge.

A metaphasic projection matrix for the metaphasic shielding is on the tactical console: Under a glass bluish white upper panel with a white reddish lit silvery rim.

There's a special mostly plastic wheel like mostly light gray ventilation unit to ensure solar radiation is pushed away from the environmental systems and doesn't break in. Past the unit is a clear blue rod against mostly black.

There's also a polarized field emitter coil: Crowbar like with its double set of tube shapes, dark gray, and mostly wrapped around the ventilation unit.

And like the ventilation system... One person is in the helm control chair: Teary eyed, reddish with weariness...and looking like a plastic wheel crushed before the hands of darkness struggling to get back the shape.

She has a mostly dark red uniform, torn all over from wear and tear. She is Deanna Troi: One from a alternate time not so far off altogether, but alternate and darker nevertheless.

Desperately, she mutters lowly, "no mother. Mr. Trical... No! Please... Sniffle! Please stop."

To her Enterprise E... The EMH Doctor checks worriedly, "Commander Troi? Does this Mr. Trical need medical assistance?"

Darkened Deanna Troi nervously calls out, "stop chasing him. For the six hundredth time, mother, he's a assimilated voice in a Borg Cu...! Mother! I'm not a child any more. I can...! Moderate sigh. Sniffle. I'm sorry. I'd also really like Will to be here. It's ok. I'll leave you alone to your thoughts."

The EMH Doctor just has to ask, "sorry if I'm intruding. But...are you not alone?"

Darkened Deanna Troi moderately sighs.

After a bit... She explains, "sniffle. No. I'm sorry. It's just... I've been hiding in the stars for so long: Avoiding Borg as much as possible, firing at the ones I can't avoid. Sniffle! Hearing their voices in this ship...and people I knew that were assimilated."

She sobs.

She wipes her eyes. She then goes on, "I didn't used to be alone. But sometimes... Sniffle. I can still hear them: Echoing in my mind. Millions of people. Even Sela. Sniffle! Often times, it's painful. But, I can't stop the pain. I can only move on."

Sadly, the EMH Doctor concludes, "I'm sorry. This part of space must seem frightening to you."

Darkened Deanna Troi interestingly faintly smiles.

She adds, "well, it was: Until you and your people destroyed the Borg Probes over these Borg Homeworlds, and I brought the ship out of the nearest star." With some lingering unease, the EMH Doctor admits, "you're not the only one that thought so."

Darkened Deanna Troi takes a deep breath.

She then concludes, "thank you. But... Faint sniffle. I think I'll be all right now. If there's anything I can do for you..."

The EMH Doctor figures hesitantly, "well, if you're sure you'll be all right... We can always use more help against the Borg. We lost contact with most of our fleet. We don't even know where they might be."

With lingering nervousness, Darkened Deanna Troi says, "that can frighten anyone. In any case, you have our... I mean, my condolences."

The EMH Doctor solemnly says, "thank you."

In spite of her weariness... Darkened Deanna Troi firmly nods, "sure. And, yes. I'll be all right and ready for duty: When we all will."

More light sounding, the EMH Doctor decides, "very well. I'll let you know when that time comes."

Darkened Deanna Troi concludes solemnly, "thank you, Doctor."

She ends the transmission.

Around then, on another channel... The USS Daystrom has hailed the EMH Doctor's resistance: Galaxy class.

The Bridge is yellow rimmed. The consoles are red lined. And, even though Hugh himself isn't on board...several members of Hugh's resistance are at the stations: Interfacing with the panels to run them.

A handful of uneasy and not so uneasy human Starfleet officers are at stations also.

A Geordi La Forge is sitting in the very dark gray chair, wearing a mostly dark red uniform and a green light lit Borg targeting light over his visor. His visor was enhanced with Borg tech: Courtesy of the Hugh of his universe.

Captain Geordi La Forge concludes, "we'll see what we can do to help, Lieutenant Bates. But, are you aware of these temporal distortions showing up on our sensor readings? The sensors relays seem to have taken quite a beating down there."

Still fairly shaken... Hannah Bates concludes, "we know they're out there. Unfortunately. But, we're glad you can help us."

Captain Geordi La Forge solemnly says, "of course. We'll remain in a standard orbit, continuing scans of the temporal distortions. Maybe we can find a way to seal them and get everybody back to their respective universes before it all gets worse. That is, unless you have something else you'd like to recommend."

Not so lightly, Hannah Bates comments, "I doubt it can get any worse than having nowhere in time and space to evacuate to."

Captain Geordi La Forge apologizes, "sorry. I knew it was serious: I just didn't know how serious."

Hannah Bates insists more lightly, "it's all right. Well, not really: Given what we're looking at with this damn reality crisis. But, thanks." Captain Geordi La Forge mostly assures, "it's ok."

With plenty of mixed feelings, Hannah Bates concludes, "faint chuckle. Thanks. We already have the best people we have on our side of time and space working on finding a way to seal it. But, if we found you on our sensors earlier, I'm sure we would have been glad to include you."

She's fondly thinking back to the Geordi La Forge of this universe: Who was lost on a mission against the Borg...before the Borg assimilated her and the EMH Doctor's resistance rescued her.

With a wave of his hand, Captain Geordi La Forge insists, "thanks. But, no hard feelings. I understand."

Hannah Bates faintly smiles. She says, "thanks. However..."

Looking a little more hopeful... Captain Geordi La Forge asks, "yes?"

Hannah Bates suggests, "there's quadrillions of data in these Borg worlds: Possibly dating back to before Stardate quantum physics were introduced. The Doctor was able to access a few holo-parameters. But, it wasn't much compared to the information stored in this collective database. Normally, it would take weeks just for us to decrypt it all. We've never seen a Borg code like this. But, perhaps you and your crew can help us get through the quadrillions."

Captain Geordi La Forge says, "that's a good idea. We're at least going to need three hours. But, we'll get right on it."

Awkwardly, Hannah Bates is quick to point out, "well... Unfortunately, we might not have that long. May be only one hour or two hours. The technology down here looks to be centuries out of date with the Borg we know. Maybe you can search the database for anything about their earliest encounters. It could turn up something of use we can use to fight the Borg."

Captain Geordi La Forge decides, "ok. Sounds good. I'll have a report ready for your resistance team by 1300 hours. Captain La Forge out."

He ends the transmission.

Teary eyed, Hannah Bates reflects to herself, "I hope not. Not again. Not with him...and not with all of us."

Meanwhile, on Kes's Olympic Class vessel...

Past the previously only glanced at mostly dark blue Bridge... Past its bright whitish yellow lined desert brown bulkheads to the sides and ceiling... Silvery blue coolant pack like environmental systems line the mostly dark gray and blue Backgammon styled corridors.

With Astrometrics, there's light brown walls and dark red lined panels.

There's no side consoles. But, in the center, there's a ring shaped picnic table styled dark gray console with four access panels: One for each chair.

Cass and Four are sitting kind of nervously on one side. They have their mostly silvery type 7 phase discriminators on black armbands on their right arms. Kes is on the other side of the console.

Kind of skeptical, Cass concludes, "you know, there's something I still don't get. If you can go down subspace halls and blend up particle slime, can't you just travel back in time and stop all the universes from being at risk of being destroyed to begin with?"

Kind of shaken by the whole thing herself... Kes tries to speak her mind, "if I could, we wouldn't be talking right now. We would be back, safe in our universes."

Four glares at her. She questions sharply, "what possible assessment could you have that our universe is safe?"

Cass looks tired. And, she doesn't add something as quick as she might have.

Before Cass can say something...Kes says it first.

She apologizes, "sorry. What I meant was it'd be safer. We all know the Borg's Environmental Probes are close to manipulating the multiverse to their will."

Sounding a little better, Four solemnly concludes, "perhaps."

Cass impatiently goes, "then let's find out how to save them all: Now."

She stands up abruptly, with her fists clinking against the table.

Kes nervously tries to assure, "Cass. Please relax. We're trying. It's why we're here on my ship."

Looking a little red in the face... Cass says apologetically, "sorry. But, for how long? We need to find a way."

She sits back down. She's rubbing her eyes, trying to stay awake.

Four is looking a little tired and restless herself. She reasons, "a army on a single sleep cycle would be efficient. It would at least have us with clearer heads."

With a faint smile, Kes concludes more hopefully, "all right. I can't without destroying the multiverse. But you can, Cass."

Without much second thoughts, Cass figures, "I'd like to. But, you sure?"

Kes explains, "yes. You created a temporary barrier in time when time and space began to come unraveled. But, only you can reenter it without harm. After that, the barrier will reach its threshold. So, you'll only get to do it once."

Cass figures, "faint chuckle. Weird. But, ok."

She stands up again, getting ready to send herself through.

Kes insists assuringly, "it's ok. My subatomic particle calculations say there's a ninety nine percent chance you'll be fine." Cass faintly smiles back, "thanks."

Four is fairly assured by those numbers. She faintly smiles over that.

Still... Four just has to double check, "are you going to be fine? We know what happened the last time you attempted..."

With a slight wave of her hand, Cass partially assures, "I'll be fine. But...thank you."

Four faintly nods. She adds, "you are welcome."

In a flash of light bluish light, Cass transports herself away. But, during self transport, she's briefly seen injecting herself with one of her hypospray dosages.

In seconds...

With blurry eyes... She becomes shot out of subspace like a quantum torpedo...against a bright rainfall falling up of dark blue lightning subspace distortions.

Cass reaches out for one of the ripples: With her extended hand nervously reaching back out to her, amidst the fractured possibilities by the past Cass and Four.

In a flash of light bluish light... Everything in recent hours seems to fast forward.

Cass falling unconscious before Orrak with his phaser, waking up in the USS Defiant's Sick Bay with Doctor Bashir checking on her, realizing Lore's presence, the damage to the space-time continuum presented by Q in his own Federation council chambers before Maquis and their mostly uneasy and unsure allies, Cass and Four sitting by one another while the fleet goes down the cream like dark yellow blue tinted subspace undercurrent... It all plays again in Cass's mind.

But, even as it does... She faintly smiles to herself in a golden bluish glow of replenished energy.

For, she realizes she's not falling asleep...or falling unconscious this time around.

A golden bluish glow washes over the hours.

The Past Chakotay, Seven, Tyrik, Endri, the Past Kathryn... Even Four wakes up.

And, as the EMH Doctor's resistance's Borg Sphere explodes into flaming pieces... Tyrik and Endri quickly beam themselves down in time: With help from Tyrik forcibly opening up and rewiring a Borg alcove.

Presently...

In another flash of light bluish light... Cass appears on one of the other Borg Homeworlds.

She sees Kes's ship right above her: Appearing through a subspace corridor. She sees the USS Voyager, Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht, and the USS Excalibur in orbit, along with several Galaxy Class starships further out.

She looks a little relieved. But, she also looks very confused as to how she'd end up here.

But, then... As Cass cautiously walks down some of the very dark blue rustic metal frames... She faintly smiles.

She sees Tyrik and Endri in one of the containment chambers: Alert and behind a force field.

Tyrik has a phaser ready. Endri is at one of the crude Borg viewscreens, trying to make sense of the dark green Borg half number scribbles coming up on the screen.

Cass sits down by the force field.

She's wondering what she'd even say to them: Whispering nervously to herself so as to not be heard. But, she forgets that Endri is Betazoid.

Endri pauses at the console.

Sounding surprisingly calm, Tyrik asks, "are we in evident danger?"

Endri says nervously, "I do not really know. But, we will. Lower the force field."

While holding out the phaser, Tyrik presses a few buttons on a Borg alcove.

What's worse is there's something else that Cass briefly sees on the viewscreen.

It's of the moon from her vision...right next to the rock faces the Borg Homeworlds used to be. And, the nervousness over it all floods through her.

By way of telepathy... Kes checks with concern, "Cass? Are you all right?"

Starting to get teary eyed... Cass thinks back, "I'm just fine, Kes. But, if those files are what I think they are...then this has all been one big reality circle on a broken road."


	12. Chapter 12(File II): Assimilation Day

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Historical Log II: Assimilation Day

The Borg. One of the most feared races in the galaxy.

Many a time have they said "resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."

But yet... The coming of the first Borg wasn't out of wanting to assimilate. It was to resist a enemy.

Centuries ago... There wasn't Borg.

There was the Orpiro, living on a volcanic planet called Tikurgor.

They were four armed nocturnal humanoid aliens, with solid black to very whitish blue scorpion like exoskeletons.

They had kind of small fast double claw like mouths: One right above the other. But, they didn't have tails. And, their stingers were folded in in their undersides.

Very few metallic mineral rich luminescent bluish and greenish plants grew here. Bugs the size of dogs and cats roamed here. But, the Orpiro's slow digesting double stomachs stored many months worth of food at a time in their underbellies.

Despite being known as the toughest fighters in the Orpiro star system, they were also known to be scientists and kind hearted: From the twelfth century to the thirteen century.

The Orpiro used to all live in caves, going after bugs to survive. Then, over many years, they gathered enough material to create gray almost clay like metallic lab domes.

They stretched across miles of hot rocks. They also doubled as their home hubs: Full of underground tunnels to hundreds of storage rooms, cooked bugs over open lava pools, and Orpiro classrooms and hut styled mattresses.

A famous saying among Orpiro was "study what can be assimilated. Respect the contributors of the studies, and you will never fail." Another famous saying was "true Orpiro are above hate: There is only Fosscor, Photroscor, and the people who fail to respect either."

In Orpiroso culture, Fosscor is the word for care: Which has been regarded as so important that their very scripture was titled The Hundred Fosscor Gorjur. The scripture itself is a hundred rules for Orpiroso culture, carefully structured for every possible outcome the Orpiro could think of.

Photroscor is the Orpiroso word for fellowship: The second most important word in Orpiroso culture.

Just about every Orpiroso word is rooted in their own scientific studies.

They had no use for money. But, their almost clay like metallic blocks and metallic plants were in high demand: Which were very easy to barter for whatever the Orpiro needed off world to survive or to stock up on reserves.

Their historically rooted plays in science fiction and fantasy were considered among the best in the Delta Quadrant.

In Orpiroso, they included "The Orpiro that Ruled a Volcano", "Growing Pains down the Lava Bed", and "Asteroids Upon Them."

Yet, even with all the clapping and cheering... The Orpiro weren't perfect.

They had no divine following, and anyone publicly known to have one was ridiculed or exiled. Even any hint of corporate interest was frowned upon.

Put this together with a growing number of hate filled fighters over the Orpiro's strictness and prowess, and it's no wonder the Orpiro system fell.

The Orpiro were kind. But, only to those not ridiculed or exiled away.

They simply couldn't understand anything outside of science, academically oriented seminars, plays, and their own rules. And so, they couldn't help but make fun of the outside: Even if most of them didn't mean to be mean spirited.

Often though, the Orpiro's bluntness was taken the wrong way. And so for many years into the fourteenth century, their allies were beginning to leave in droves.

The Orpiro even put together a think tank just to try to understand why. But, public opinion frowned on it. And, funding was put back into scientific research on making sea ship like missiles and mapping a course across the Delta Quadrant to find more allies like themselves.

The worst incident though came when one of their best scientists turned on Orpiroso culture.

She was part of the aforementioned think tank. Her name was Boreai Undir, and she had a whitish mostly gray blue exoskeleton.

She publically declared "we the Orpiro are not as smart as we like to think: We are driving away our allies out of virtually ignored miscommunication".

Boreai Undir was going to keep going...when the crowd of Orpiro citizens crowded around her and beat her up for it.

The Orpiro leaders were shocked.

Some left with Boreai to try to make moon colonies with "better Photroscor and Fosscor than their own planet can give."

Some left further out on the planet to be alone to their thoughts: Not able to understand what it's all come to. Leaders and citizens alike.

In the midst of the Undir Tecton, which the incident was recorded as... A old enemy arose to strike the Orpiro's legacy, and strike hard.

They were called the Tarlus.

The Tarlus were golem like with thin medieval arches for helmets, X shaped gray metal straps over their shoulders with solidified pink jelly plates around them, rhino horn like noses, and T-Rex like claws.

Most of the smart ones formed task forces that have been conquering other worlds around their own: In the Orpiro system. Most of the not so smart ones have stayed on their home planet of Tarlus to fight among themselves for food and courtship and the like for centuries.

The planet Tarlus was covered in pink jelly and gray metallic rocks, where jelly was as important to the Tarlus as water is to humans.

Many years ago, the Orpiro drove the Tarlusian task forces back. But, since the thirteenth century, some of them have been preparing for another fight well in advance.

This time, they had neuro-lightning wielders: Capable of shooting long range yellowish red and green ribboned neurological lighting blasts that can send people into deep sleeps instantly.

Tarlusian jelly was also non-conductive. So, battle armor out of it was good protection against their own neuro-lightning wielders.

Screams and shrieks of fallen Orpiro filled the nights.

Orpiro energy shock crossbows of black and whitish blue fired at the small Tarlusian army. But, they were just shrugging it off and punching their way through the lab domes one by one.

The few allies the Orpiroso still had wouldn't be able to arrive at warp for another several days.

Soon, they were no labs left to hide in: Except for ones built on the far side of the planet, where the Orpiro that wanted to be left alone were living in peace.

In addition... From one of their allies, the Orpiro heard of a discovery of a Vohrsoth lab months ago.

But, the Orpiro had it boarded up: Thinking it was "too much against everything true Orpiro were, as unanimously decreed by The Hundred Fosscor Gorjur to form the first century of peace through all twenty two Orpiroso sectors."

The hundreds of conscious Orpiro left very reluctantly banded together, desperate to save their people from losing everything to the Tarlusians.

That day, Orpiro added a One Hundred First rule to The Hundred Fosscor Gorjur.

It was a rule to make a exception for the invasion: To give themselves justified permission to "study not very Fosscor and Photroscor organic samples to form their own physical survival from them".

They hollowed out all the sea ship styled missiles they could find: To escape into warp and get to the Vohrsoth lab in time.

It was minutes away in warp, because it was discovered on a moon that happened to be in the middle of a eclipse around the remains of a planet months ago. The abandoned planet was destroyed by enough comets over centuries time.

The Orpiro scientists worked overtime to develop something to stop the Tarlusians.

They lost plenty of sleep studying the cryogenically frozen Vohrsoth baby vats, despite the food reserves in their underbellies. They took apart most of the missile components for components for implants.

In a few days, the Tarlusians were hours away from finding and taking over the far side of the planet.

By then though... The Orpiro had their implants.

In their own tiredness and haste, they didn't feel they had time to test them. So, they all put the implants on just before making the trip back to Tikurgor: These dark gray implants humming unnatural cybernetic whirls.

They coughed hard, dizzyingly bent over themselves.

After a bit, they stood up.

Their exoskeletons had pale grey tints flooding through them. They were beginning to shed off little piece by little piece, starting with their heads.

The last Orpiro hurried on in their pods.

Soon, with their newfound lightning reflexes and speed... They wiped the floor with the Tarlusians: Like a emotionless machine running on a single thought.

They stood satisfied. But, by then...it was too late for their individualities.

A single voice practically screamed across the implants, making them bent over themselves as they struggled to cover their ears.

But, there was no silence: Not against a voice of their own making.

The emotionless voice echoed, "we...are Borg. Your people...are now assimilated. You...and your allies...will now service us. For Boreai, for Fosscor, for Photroscor...you will now service us. Any resistance against us...is futile."

The Orpiro who desperately tried to tear the implants off were just shocked to unconsciousness and left on the surface: Alone. The others marched on: Back to the fallen Tarlusians and the fallen Orpiro to salvage technology for themselves.

They went to work on and on: Making crude bony Borg Queen builds out of the neuro-lightning wielders and energy crossbows, and making force field emitters to install over caves out of the wreckages of the Orpiro labs.

Help arrived from their allies. But, they were rendered unconscious and placed in spare Vohrsoth vats: To be assimilated as soon as they were woken up from cryogenic sleep.

The screams grew and grew across the Orpiro system, as the Borg spread out in their pods to find more potentials to assimilate.

At the time... They were just seen as space pirates from another quadrant, who stole as much technology as they could get and shot with the disrupters they could get.

It took half a century to perfect their assimilation tubules: Which they were testing on the aliens they captured, like mad scientists without the cackle.

After that, they assimilated the alien races they kept in cryogenic sleep.

In the fifteenth century, the Borg were ensuring their first systems and homeworlds were efficient before expanding across most of the Delta Quadrant.

By then, most of the forces left on the Orpiro's side got smart enough to finally realize who they became.

Feeling betrayed by them, they left at warp as far as they could.

Over two centuries, those people merged together to become the Trabe.

Meanwhile... The Borg were tractor beaming the lava out of Tikurgor, with advanced plasma drill probes to help form the structures for their two other Borg Homeworlds: Hollowed out and perfect for modeling their Homeworlds after.

In turn, the advanced plasma drill probes were partially modeled after to help create the first Borg Probes: Because of their efficiency.

The first Borg Homeworlds were then fortified with heavy metal from outside, before overtime extracting the rocks inside to make the first Borg Homeworlds completely metal.

But, even with how frighteningly efficient the Borg were... The first Borg Probes were built with the same mistake as before: Off of Vohrsoth research.

They were quickly abandoned along with the first Borg Homeworlds when even the Borg couldn't control it as well as the Vohrsoth could. The displacement wave beams tore apart whatever it hit in a isodimensional rift, and beamed the charred remains into a pocket of space.

They were not only seen as too dangerous to mass produce, but also not at all useful for assimilation.

The first Borg probes though had formed consciousness of their own as part of the Borg Collective: Which was also the first and last time the Borg made autonomous Borg ships.

So, the Borg Collective appointed them to guard the first Borg Homeworlds, and their secrets key to their very creation as the Borg Collective.

That satisfied the first Borg Probes. But, it was really mostly so the rest of the Borg wouldn't have them as a threat to them.

Only Borg Queens could oversee them: Because that's how much the Borg Collective wanted to be sure the first Borg Probes wouldn't catch on.

By the late twentieth century, the Borg were the Borg as V'Ger knew them.

The future of the Borg is different in many timelines: However significantly efficient or crippling it seems to the Borg Collective. But, the glaring origins remain in every one.

And, it all comes back to Assimilation Day.

The day of their first assimilation. The day of their assimilation from their own implants. And, the day of the doomed fall of the Orpiro Republic.


	13. Chapter 13: Two Ships, One Water Well

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 13:

Presently, with Cass...

Tyrik side climbs out of the Borg chamber, kind of nervous looking as he aims the phaser at Cass.

Tyrik urges, "do not try anything, or I will fire."

Cass calls back in near disbelief, "I'm not. God! It's Team Red Hour all over again!"

She starts to tear up and shake. But, not from her powers.

Endri then climbs out.

Endri expresses warily, "Cass... Heavy sigh. I don't want a fight anymore than you. But, if you're going to have another outburst..."

Cass looks incredulously at her, "another outburst? You think I just came to draw a phaser at you?!"

Tyrik points out sharply, "not precisely. But, it is clear enough. Your last outburst almost seriously injured Reia and everyone else in your way." Endri backs him up, "exactly."

Cass mutters harshly, "faint laugh. That's kind of funny. You know, back on the station, you fired first. I just wanted to get to Dukat to end all the fighting. But, no. You and Orrak started a firefight around the Cardassian Borg pockets full of posies, and then we all fell down! So, don't you dare tell me I'm the only one with outbursts!"

Endri and Tyrik glare in her direction. They all seem ready to fire.

But, then...

Through all their heads... Kes telepathically calls out, "enough!"

They clutch their heads. Endri and Tyrik drop the phasers.

Sounding calmer now... Kes says, "sorry. But, I felt it was necessary. We all want to end the fighting. So, why don't we start now?"

Tyrik just stoically stands there. Endri and Cass look embarrassed.

Cass says, "sorry."

Endri admits openly, "yeah. I'm sorry too. It's bad enough this place gives me the creeps. The last thing we need are explosions from the Great Fire."

Kind of sarcastic, Cass comments, "yeah. Got plenty of those around."

Endri faintly chuckles. Tyrik looks a little put off, but says nothing.

Cass awkwardly points out, "well... Me and Kes got a ship. Maybe we can cool off there."

Endri uneasily starts to say, "I don't know. With Four..."

Cass mostly assures, "we're surviving. Right now, that's all that matters. And, if anyone knows surviving, it's Four."

She's looking a little amused as she says the last part.

Tyrik concludes, "her logic is without doubt."

With a very slight smile, Endri says, "right. The sooner I'm off this crackling Borg heap, the better. Looks like we're going with you."

Cass firmly nods.

Sounding relieved, she figures, "ok. Cass to Kes...three to beam up."

They beam up...leaving the Borg Homeworld behind.

Meanwhile, back by the edge of the Alpha Quadrant...

Suddenly...the firing stops.

The cutting beams trying to get a lock, the energy dissipating weapons... All of it.

The Hazari and Andorians welcome the ceasefire without question. They start to slowly back off their ships as their shields collapse...under the cover of antimatter flow residue.

Captain Nog comments tensely, "what is this? We couldn't have critically damaged them that quick. Why don't they just try to aim nanoprobes at us?"

He's not the only one looking tense. Everyone on the Bridge is.

From her Delta Flyer... And, with a faint smirk... Amin supposes, "maybe I reached out more than I thought."

Jadzia Dax points out, "nice theory, Amin. But, they still haven't lowered...weapons."

It then hits her and the others on the Bridge.

Captain Nog mutters under his breath, "damn. All hands, fall...!"

Two Borg Spheres transport phase out through the Borg Breen vessels, phasing through the anti-matter residue in a mid-transport charge. They lock on and fire cutting beams at the USS Defiant's little fleet before they can go to warp.

They're all being pulled in...with their EM pulse cannon and directed energy beams systems being pulled out as though they were lifeless asteroids to mine.

The hull breaches alone suck out a great deal of air before the emergency force fields weakly kick in.

The Hazari, the Andorians, Amin... They're all falling unconscious.

Okala grimly reports, "looks like that option has been cut off."

Captain Nog concludes, "obviously. There's no way to take down the Borg Spheres like this. Annoyed sigh! Fine. Release the warp core on my command."

The Klingons kind of uneasily smirk. This wasn't a path to honor they were looking forward to. The Andorian Helm officer seems to have a similar sentiment.

Jadzia Dax questions nervously, "Captain, are you out of your mind?!"

The Borg Sphere coming up on the USS Defiant quickly fires several Borg missiles.

The USS Defiant side dives around, dodging two. They hit the Borg Sphere instead, taking out several Borg sections in a burst of flame.

But still...one Borg missile's energy ripples through the ablative bulkheads. Cracks form all over, with force fields barely rippling over them.

Sparks fly across the corridors. The emergency lights go on and off.

Worriedly, Okala reports, "hull breaches on all decks!"

Jadzia Dax quickly realizes the directed energy beams and torpedoes are out. With everything running in her head though, she's just trying to hold it all together.

Captain Nog sharply asks, "you got a better idea?"

There's some uncomfortable silence.

Captain Nog goes, "yeah. I didn't think so."

Around then, in Ehras's Quarters...

Sarina is kind of nervously sitting in one of the seats, across from Ehras sitting there. The computer has been recently reconfigured to monitor Ehras's lifesigns, with several rewired Borg assimilation tubules coming out of it.

On the other end of the tubules is one of the recovered gray Borg Trill...over Ehras's restored ice rimmed marble green and blue swirled uniform.

Her uniform was mostly destroyed in fire and reduced to just black sheeting before she found herself in the USS Defiant's Sick Bay. But, thanks to the replicators, it's been restored: Much to Ehras's slight relief.

It was her idea to crudely replicate experimental Multianics in gel pack form from her universe as a backup plan. But, nothing about this was authorized.

Sarina did bring up that acting Captain Riker and Data in the main universe already attempted it years ago, and that all they could do was barely find the subcommand to put them to sleep. But, that's not what Ehras looks nervous about. It's not even that it's unauthorized.

Because, even with the fair shot at hacking the Borg... It involved drawing on neural echoes of her universe's Uzazhishar: The database for Andorian and trespasser records alike down to just about every detail. Echoes of the twentieth century are difficult for any Andorian to face. And, that's just one century of Andorian history.

Sarina reminds her, "there might be some dizziness and neurological echoes from the Trill. That's to be...expected." She then asks in concern, "are you ok, Ehras?"

Teary eyed, Ehras admits uncomfortably, "it's not easy. But... Moderate sigh. If ancient Andorian clans can put up with the neural echoes, so can we. Let's just get through this."

Sarina faintly chuckles with some relief. She reasons, "I'm sure we will. I'll explain myself to the Captain and say I acted alone if I have to. Just don't strain yourself anymore than you have to, and I won't strain myself too much."

Ehras insists, "I won't. But, thanks." Sarina just very faintly smiles, "you're welcome."

With a few blinks, Ehras reaches the Borg Collective.

The Borg Trill squirms as it fights back, trying to override her consciousness. But, glaringly at the Borg Collective... Ehras thought fights back.

The Borg Trill goes limp again.

Around then...

The first Borg Sphere gets a lock on the USS Defiant, moderately shaking the Bridge.

Teary eyed, Captain Nog starts to order, "very well. Release the..."

The Borg Spheres and Borg Breen vessels almost got the fleet in their corridors...when their Borg missiles go off.

The Borg thought they saw the fleet of formerly assimilated Andorian Battleships making a break for it, after Patrick and Lauren released the neurological agent somehow through a reawakened unassimilated Jack. They were readying their EM pulse cannons and spikes to try to take the Borg out within their own shields.

But, in reality...the Borg vessels in range were targeting themselves.

And, with the Breen Borg vessels's corridors already greatly damaged in places... They're all destroyed in a whirlwind of cold bright blue fire.

The USS Defiant's fleet is hurled away from the edge of the shockwaves. But, the USS Defiant and the Andorian Battleships barely hold together with Multianics putting up emergency Multianic force fields around the damaged sections and force fields.

The Andorian crews are quickly neurally revived by their emergency Multianic force fields, and they carry on like nothing happened.

The USS Defiant's crew and the Andorian crews quickly get transporter locks on the unconscious Hazari and Amin. And, the Andorian Battleships waste no time going to warp.

Okala wonders nervously, "what is happening? Are we being...?!"

Captain Nog just grins. He figures, "no. Bashir's think tank must have found us a way. Get us out of here: Warp 9."

The Andorian Helm officer confirms, "yes captain."

The USS Defiant goes to warp, leaving the wreckage of Hazari ships and a Delta Flyer behind in a junkyard of Borg parts and fading blue flames.

Not long after...

From switching the screen to the feed from the viewscreen and back... Sarina realizes what's happened.

A relieved looking Ehras has already pulled out the tubules to forcibly shut off the connection to the Borg Trill. It's strangely easy to put down on the table.

On the verge of tears, Sarina questions, "what?"

Ehras inquires kind of nervously, "what is it?"

She's trying to ignore the greenish slime on her uniform for now.

With a small but visible glare in her teary eyes... Sarina answers back, "no. I think you do know. We were going to get them to stand down: Not destroy them."

With a twisted calm... Ehras concludes, "well, we got them to stand down. They weren't really friendly to my Empire. Faint sniffle. Thousands were lost that day. Honestly, this universe doesn't seem very different to me."

With mixed feelings, Sarina figures, "so it seems. But next time...we should at least try it my way before turning to destruction."

With mixed feelings of her own, Ehras highlights kind of nervously, "sorry. But, I think you should take that up with the "big red" Captain kid. I already can tell he'll conclude the same as any guard member in your crew: More than you want to face up to."

In a low tone, Sarina goes, "ugh! They're not my crew!"

She gets up, already halfway to the automatic door.

Facing the fluctuating Multianic force fields ahead... She calls out to the open door, "am I the only one on this ship who doesn't want to destroy people?!"

More nervously, Ehras concludes, "I'm not sure the Borg are even people. Even the Empire in my universe were...debating on it."

Sarina's already gone down the corridor.

Ehras sighs heavily to herself.


	14. Chapter 14: High on Rebounds

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 14:

Around then, in Doctor Bashir's Quarters...

Doctor Bashir sighs with mixed relief in the chair, going over the readings more than once on the Defiant's fleet's close getaway.

There's a beep from the automatic door.

Doctor Bashir says, "come...in."

Jadzia Dax comes in, finding it hard to concentrate and walk in.

Doctor Bashir checks with concern, "you all right?"

He's already getting out his tricorder.

Jadzia Dax stands there: The automatic door closing behind her.

She holds up a uneasy hand.

She adds, "that's not necessary, Julian. I know too well what's wrong, and it's not on a medical scan."

Doctor Bashir insists, "maybe. But, with all the Pah-Wraiths and massive subspace anomalies going around, you can't be too sure. Please lie down. It'll go faster."

Jadzia Dax reluctantly sighs as she lies down on Doctor Bashir's bed. Doctor Bashir scans her with the tricorder.

Jadzia Dax kind of sarcastically adds, "find what you're looking for?"

Uneasily, Doctor Bashir reports, "I'm not trying to find anything wrong with you at all. But... Faint uneasy sigh. Your adrenaline and hormonal glands have shot up since your last medical exam. It's your personalities again. I'm right, aren't I?"

Jadzia Dax moderately sighs, trying to keep her shaky hands clasped together.

She reveals, "it's not everything wrong. It's not what I was hoping to be made obvious. But... You're right. Honestly...I'm trying to hold back some of my personalities from yearning over you. Faint sniffle. It's not easy."

With some mixed feelings of a different nature... Doctor Bashir surmises, "and you're on the rebound."

Still kind of shaky, Jadzia Dax deduces, "maybe I am. But, don't rush me Julian."

Doctor Bashir reasons, "all right. But..."

Getting more uncomfortable, Jadzia Dax tries to insist, "I know exactly what you're probably thinking. Please don't rush me."

Doctor Bashir mostly assures, "no. I'm not. I'm...just fairly puzzled. If that wasn't what you first came to talk to me about...what is it?"

Jadzia Dax comments, "is it just me, or is everyone on board the Defiant of this universe more cold for anyone resembling Borg?"

Doctor Bashir reflects, "not everyone. Still... Aside from myself and the rest of our think tank... I'm sorry. I can't think of anyone else that isn't on the Defiant. It's been a long two and a half years. There were rounds with the Dominion and a very uncertain alliance with the Pah-Wraiths. Then, there were rounds with the Borg tracking down unassimilated Borg and taking over because Section 31 got overconfident that they were ready. We don't know how many galaxies are left that they haven't assimilated. But... Sigh. It can give anyone great unease."

Teary eyed, Jadzia Dax concludes, "I...can't imagine how many lives were lost. I'm sorry, Julian."

Kind of weakly, Doctor Bashir insists, "it's all right. The odds are stacked up high against us. But, we've held out this long."

Jadzia Dax mutters uneasily, "I don't know. You sure don't sound like you're on a high horse. But, thanks for trying." Doctor Bashir firmly says, "you're welcome."

With her hands not so shakily clasped together... Jadzia Dax sits up.

She reveals, "besides... Heavy sigh. There's another thing more than us that's on my mind."

Doctor Bashir asks, "what is it?"

Jadzia Dax nervously brings up, "you and the people in your think tank are trying to come up with a way to repair the multiverse. Does that mean I go back to my universe...to be lost forever? And with all the subspace distortions out there, I can't be the only one with that experience."

With a sympathic hand on hers... Doctor Bashir says, "listen to me. You're not going to be lost. I'm not going to let that happen."

Jadzia Dax faintly smiles back, "promise?" Doctor Bashir answers, "I promise."

Jadzia Dax is awkwardly drawing her shaky hand again, tempted to touch more than his hand. But, Doctor Bashir isn't drawing himself forward or back.

Jadzia Dax says, "thank you." Doctor Bashir just adds, "you're welcome."

A little over a half hour later, in Astrometrics on Kes's Olympic Class vessel...

On the Astrometrics screen, with triangular light green root like lined split windows... All three galaxy class ships's crew's captains, the two Captain Picards and Vash, Captain Janeway and Seven, Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay, Thomas Riker and Commander Shelby in a shuttle with some Borg missile emitter components cluttered in the back, and the EMH Doctor's resistance are there.

Data is still on Kes's Olympic Class ship because it was a more logical thing to do from his perspective: With a type 7 phase discriminator on his arm in case a certain android comes knocking.

Kes is standing by him.

Captain Geordi La Forge just found out the truth about the Borg's origins and told the others through open channels: Of the first Assimilation Day, of the fall of the Orpiro Republic and the rise of the Borg...and of a Vohrsoth moon minutes away at warp that was a exact match for the moon from Cass's vision.

There's a long silence across the windows on the screen.

Q already recently spilled it to both Captain Picards when they asked him about the Borg Homeworlds. So, they already know. But, it doesn't take away the newfound deeply twisted sympathy for the Borg from their tired teary eyed faces.

Not even the Borg Collective has told Seven or either Captain Picard the secret. They wanted it buried to protect their very existence as Borg: On the level of the Borg Queens, and nothing more.

Cass, Four, Tyrik, and Endri are sitting around the ring shaped picnic table styled dark gray console, while K'Olagh stands guard just outside the corridor with his Bat'leth ready along with Starfleet Security team in very bright yellow uniforms with phaser rifles ready.

Teary eyed, Darkened Deanna Troi considers, "all right. At least I can calm down some of the voices in my head. Maybe I would be able to..."

Data is looking very grim: Almost emotional.

He concludes, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Captain Troi. If we had every Betazoid from Betazed free from a state of assimilation, then it would be possible. No offense. But, I don't see how that would be possible without..."

Four just sits there, teary eyed and not looking up. She's struggling within to keep it all together with everything in her head, in spite of her strong reluctance to just sit there and accept the conclusion before them.

After some deep breaths, Cass stands up to face the Astrometrics screen and all of them.

Endri looks about ready to do that herself. But, Tyrik has a hand on hers: Not letting go.

Teary eyed, Endri whispers lowly, "Tyrik... They're my people. I can't just...!"

Kes tries to tell her to calm down. But, a teary eyed Cass just walks right past her.

Tyrik sympathetically points out, "I know. But, this is just talking. I shall tell you if there is cause to be upset. But, it's not clear now."

Endri sits back down.

Endri nervously admits, "you're right. But, try telling that to Cass."

Cass looks astounded, "why the hell are we still talking about it? I got several doses left. Let me go free them! Believe me: I'll be happy to."

There's a brief uncomfortable silence.

Captain Janeway and Seven very faintly smile. Most everyone else on the Astrometrics screen and Kes look very nervous all of a sudden. Endri, Tyrik, and Four just sit there, looking more than a little nervous with uncertainty.

Turning to the two Captain Picards... Data questions, "should you go ahead...Captain and Captain...or should I?"

Before the mainstream Captain Picard can uneasily add something... Captain Picard uneasily concludes, "go ahead, Data. From what I heard, she might listen to you."

Data figures, "very well."

Cass asks tensely, "what?"

Data turns back to her, "I'm sorry, Cass. But, there's something we've only recently found out from Captain Troi about her divergent timeline. It seems the Lore from that timeline has taken over Section 31 and comes with a built-in phasing cloak of his own. So, it's possible that the Lore from this timeline would have already detected this divergent timeline through a sensor scan in interwarp and be waiting for a opportunity like this. One to coordinate with another Section 31 run by another Lore to eliminate you for Section 31 interests."

On the verge of tears, Cass mutters, "sigh. God! I hate this. I hate being so powerless!"

She storms out, struggling to keep herself from lashing out at them with Q powers.

Tears are falling behind her like crazy.

She doesn't even taunt K'Olagh as he sighs annoyedly to himself with everyone not going out fighting the Borg already. She just fast walks for the nearest airlock.

Four starts to go after Cass. But, interestingly, Kes stands there: With a slightly raised hand.

Kes awkwardly concludes, "I know you just want to help. But... Heavy sigh. I think it would be best for me to try to reach out to her first."

Four reluctantly lets her go. She solemnly just faintly nods back to her.

All Cass is thinking of is turning herself into a quantum torpedo at Lore: Not remembering how close to being destroyed it got her before, with anger shaking up within herself at everything Lore's done.

But, just as she's opening the door to the silvery blue rimmed airlock... She hears someone familiar telepathically calling out to her.

Kes telepathically reasons, "Cass... Heavy sigh. I know this is hard. I know reality has been hard on all of us. Faint sniffle. It's been hard on me as well."

Cass pauses.

She harshly thinks back to her, "I don't even get how you can sit there and say that. You could get Voyager home with a snap of your fingers. What do you know about hardship?!"

Cass nervously turns around.

Kes is standing there now: Teary eyed and looking back at her.

Kes uncomfortably admits, "you're right: I did get Voyager home. But, like with a lot of things in this universe...it didn't work out as I thought it would. Another me would understand. She'd see it coming a lot sooner."

Kind of embarrassed, Cass stands there.

She heavily sighs.

She's still teary eyed. But, she looks kind of calmer.

Cass apologizes, "I'm sorry. Guess I'm just not so great with most Q."

With a faint amused look on her face, Kes says, "it's ok, Cass. I'm not Q. I'm a powerful Ocampan. But, you're close. Long story. But, here's the short story of that long story."

Cass just says, "ok."

Kes somberly reveals, "as soon as I knew I could pick up a hypospray with my thoughts...my powers almost destroyed the ship. But, I did it. In my timeline, I got us home. But, we weren't really ready. The Dominion was out there. Starfleet wasn't so kind with the former Maquis in our crew...and some other members. The Doctor had to fight for his rights a lot. Starfleet only agreed to repair Voyager quickly and send us out as one crew because we were all desperate to stop the Founders. But, causalities among the crew, ghost stories... Faint sniffle. They came anyway: Even though we were no longer in the Delta Quadrant."

She's thinking back to Voyager and Kes's Olympic Class ship in the Demilitarized Zone: With both crews firing a barrage of phasers and subspace corridors, trying to save every Maquis they can from being wiped out from a Jem'Hadar fleet of forty nine ships. Chakotay, Tuvok, and B'Elanna were among them.

Twenty mostly disabled Jem'Hadar fighters were self destructing on collision courses, which Kes with her subspace corridors was sending back away.

But, the crews on both ships were soon finding themselves forced to retreat: Venting drive plasma all the way to a Maquis base in Athos Four...with Sisko, a pardoned Michael Eddington under close watch by some Starfleet Security, and most of the last of the Maquis in the Alpha Quadrant beamed up on Kes's ship.

Presently...

Kes continues, "we lost more than if we stayed. By my subatomic particle calculations, we stopped the fighting with the Dominion by two years. We saved more lives from invasions. But, we were no longer really happy. We were hurt. It all hurt. Faint sniffle. I really don't like the idea of going to a Vohrsoth lab myself...because I don't want my history to repeat itself for the other universes. But, with all the fighting in this universe... Can you think of a better way than going to that moon? Because I can't. If it's any help to you...I wish there were."

Cass sniffles and sighs heavily, lying against the airlock door frame.

A few more tears fall.

After a long minute... Cass looks back up.

Cass says, "oh god. I... Faint sniffle. It's hard to imagine, Kes. But, I think I get that much."

Kes puts a sympathetic hand on her arm.

With some mixed feelings, Kes concludes, "I'm kind of glad you at least understand. Still...I'm sorry." Cass solemnly says, "thank you."

Cass hugs her. With a faint self assured smile, Kes hugs her back.

Cass then realizes something, "wait a second."

Kes inquires, "what is it?"

With a faint smile, Cass considers openly, "maybe going back in time too far is too far for me to do. But, with your help...maybe it isn't."

Kind of awkwardly, Kes apologizes, "sorry. But, even Q can't do that without destroying the multiverse."

Cass sighs heavily.

Knowing what's on her mind... Kes suggests, "still... If we go back in time to a recent time... It's possible for us to help each other with keeping the multiverse together."

Cass faintly smiles again. She thinks out loud, "least then we wouldn't be just sitting around. And, I know where we can start. Faint nervous chuckle. Hell, I should've thought so not long after they came."

Kes says, "well, I'd be glad to help. What do you have in mind?"

A hour or so ago...

The newly made Bajoran Orb was swept in a flash of bright blue tinted light. And, in its place was a rapidly expanding opening for a cream like dark yellow blue tinted subspace undercurrent.

The coming fleet didn't even have to go to warp. The pull from the twin spatial rifts was pulling them right in.

Everything was becoming a blur.

The ships were creaking and shaking from the sheer stress of it. Everyone was holding onto the armrest on their chairs just to keep from flying out of them.

From the USS Voyager... Captain Janeway called out, "one quarter impulse. Hold her steady!" A Hazari at the Helm said, "yes, Captain."

From Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht... Captain Picard said, "steady as she goes." One of the Andorians in the front called back, "we're working on it!"

From the Grand Nagus's Ferengi Cruiser... Grand Nagus Zek orders, "don't move at warp unless we must."

They were zooming past distorted hints of derelict ships that came out of subspace distortions, some hints of Borg Environmental Probes that whirled by...and some hints of inverting subspace corridors closing up cropping up lightning subspace distortions.

They were coming around the super massive black holes at the very center of the galaxy. And, like a slingshot, they were going even faster.

Time itself seemed to slow down. But, the bulkheads weren't creaking anymore than they were already.

Just outside the edge of the subspace undercurrent... The present Cass and the present Four are floating out there in environmental suits.

Kes is busy creating the inverting subspace corridors, keeping their arrival in the past from making the multiverse any worse.

With Four's help and Sarina's help assisted by Four's combadge, Cass is creating a handful of transparent cosmic sewer pipes of subspace corridors. Timing and precision is everything here.

Whirls of very sharp reddish orange light were trying to strike the fleet down. Two Ferengi Cruisers, one of Hugh's Spheres, and ten Dosi battleships exploded in blurs of flames: A few light years away from the cosmic sewer pipes.

From the USS Voyager... Captain Janeway said, "report!"

Lydia Anderson reported nervously, "two hundred Pah-Wraiths, closing fast." Captain Janeway mutters, "damn!"

To his fleet... The Grand Nagus called out, "all ships, go to warp: Now!"

Hugh's Spheres and the Grand Nagus's fleet whirl around in a ball of flying warp nacelle lights: Firing blade weapons, Borg tractor beams, proton particles, and phasers to take down fifty five Pah-Wraiths at once.

Much to Four's relief and Cass's mixed relief... The other Pah-Wraiths were soon flying around in circles in the cosmic sewer pipes.

The Doctor's Sphere, the USS Voyager, and the others kept going.

Chaotic little bursts from the blurring flames almost destroyed them.

And, from behind them...were Orrak's and Dukat's faces: With Dukat looking furious, and Orrak darkly grinning at him being furious from the depths of Dukat's flames.

From the Doctor's Sphere... The EMH Doctor checked, "where is Kellin?"

At the Borg viewscreen... A teary eyed Hannah Bates says, "I...don't know. I lost the sensor lock on her before I could beam her out."

Cass and Kes are quick to get a fix on the rest of the fairly confused fleet in the subspace undercurrent.

With a faint smile, Kes reports, "I found Kellin's vessel. We're good to go."

With a satisfied smirk, Cass says, "ok. Now."

She gives herself her third hypospray dosage in a row.

She then takes Kes and Four by the hand, their hands in hers.

In seconds... Cass transports them and the fleet back.

Presently...

In a whirl of flashing by inverted subspace corridors and light bluish light flashes... They all appear over the first Borg Homeworlds.

Across both fleets... Cheers and sighs of confused relief echo through the Bridges.

Quark is kissing the ground. The Grand Nagus just faintly laughs at him, "and you were worried."

The coming fleet may have their engines a little burnt from all the tight maneuvering. But, they survived the trip.

Four looks very relieved, yet uncertainly so. Kes smiles brightly.

With a faint satisfied smirk, Cass comments, "now we're really good to go."


	15. Chapter 15: What We Take Ahead

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 15:

Not long after...

The USS Voyager, the USS Excalibur, and Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht are coming out of warp bubbles, over a certain seemingly uninhabited moon.

Meanwhile...

The rest of the Grand Nagus's fleet passes through the fading away warp bubbles to increase warp, alongside the few Spheres of Hugh's Spheres left going at Transwarp. The EMH Doctor's resistance is onboard those very same Spheres.

They all appear in a circle formation, further out from the moon.

Over the Grand Nagus's pale yellowish larvae styled lined viewscreen... Some of the Dosi glare uncertainly over it at him.

One of them argues, "this is no place for a fight. Do you want your ship to be boarded without a good successor? We have your transport protocols."

Quark nervously turns to the Grand Nagus.

Quark starts to say, "Grand Nagus... The Borg could be...?"

Grand Nagus Zek glares back at him, "I know what I'm doing, Quark. If you don't want to be tossed out a airlock as a peace offering, then let me handle this."

With a slight uneasy smirk, Quark figures, "all right. Better you than me."

Grand Nagus Zek adds, "thank you."

He then addresses the Dosi, "faint sigh. Unlike the Klingons, Zyirurn, this is the Borg. They're like Tosk: Only twice as smart and more than willing to turn us into the hunted. We don't hunt. But, as a proud Ferengi, I know how they think. You don't."

Zyirurn mutters begrudgingly, "very well. Five minutes. No longer."

The Dosi representative fades from the viewscreen.

Quark faintly smirks, knowing Grand Nagus Zek has it under control.

Suddenly though... The Second Officer Ferengi on sensors reports, "Grand Nagus... Hundreds of Borg vessels are on course for the moon and the metallic planets...in a circle formation."

Grand Nagus Zek shakes his head. He comments, "there's no way. If they're coming out of Transwarp, we'd know as soon as they showed their ugly heads of cybernetically jammed bug rot."

Quark goes over to look over the sensor readings on the dark reddish brown lined console panel. It's in the style of the binding for the Rules of Acquisition: Only with many a yellow dim neon light like light around it.

He nervously says, "well, Grand Nagus...it looks like their ugly heads are coming fast. But, with Doctor Bashir's fairly recent modifications, we can barely sense them. And, that's not the worst part."

Trying to not show his unease, the Grand Nagus faintly sighs, "all right. What are they coming with?"

With a nervous gulp, the Second Officer Ferengi reports, "there's nine hundred Borg Pods: Unpiloted and on course in Transwarp from the edges of the galaxy from neighboring systems. Only nine Borg Cubes are coming. And, they'll all be here in twenty minutes. There's only one reason for that, Grand Nagus."

Grand Nagus Zek realizes grimly, "yes. They're being launched like bombs...just before their drones beam back to their ships. No loss of drones. Impressive. Too bad we're on the other end of this deal we're being dealt with."

Quark grimly says, "we got to think of something."

With a faint smirk, Grand Nagus Zek remarks, "why thank you for volunteering, Quark. I'm sure you'll have the lobes to think of something."

Quark looks a little stunned. But, he just faintly grins: Trying not to pass out in front of the Nagus.

He's barely successful as he grabs the nearest console to keep himself upright.

Meanwhile, on the Bridge of Kes's Olympic Class ship...

In the Captain's chair, Kes tells the Bridge crew, "hold position."

A ensign responds, "yes, Captain."

A little uncertainly, Kes questions, "what is that distortion?"

On the viewscreen is a lightning subspace distortion and the quickly fading away cosmically glowing makings of one of Kes's subspace corridors.

The distortion just appeared when they were just about to go to warp through the corridor, effectively disrupting the corridor.

A second ensign just uneasily figures, "it's another subspace distortion. What else would it...?"

Kes insists, "no. It's more than that. Hold our...position."

Everyone reactively covers their eyes...as a very faint yet bright blue flash of light comes over the Bridge.

It goes as quickly as it came.

When they look up...they catch the tail end of a closing bright blue wormhole within the subspace distortion. It's going out to a proto-universe with faint purple space particles in its space.

The second ensign calls out lowly, "what the hell was that?!"

Interestingly, Kes then faintly smiles knowingly to herself.

She then says, "it's nothing like that. Faint embarrassed chuckle. I know where we are, and who's gone off the ship. It couldn't have happened at a better time."

Around then...

Cass finds herself back at the open airlock door. Only this time, it's slightly foggy.

She gets faintly teary eyed.

For, around the airlock door... Faint echoes of her nightmares flicker and echo in the fogged up glass:

Captain Sisko reasons plain as day, "you wanted me to get this far. And, now you're asking me to believe my sacrifice is for the good of the Prophets?!"

A set of images go by again: Of Sisko going down in a spiritual battle with Pah-wraith possessed Gul Dukat at Deep Space Nine's Bajoran Temple.

But for a few seconds...there's two shadows and a swiftly fading bright blue flash. In his rage, Dukat doesn't even really catch it.

The Prophets cryptically echo, "no sacrifice…is being asked. The gate…stays open…for us. The gate…stays open…for hope."

In her last words, Kira's voice echoes her own inscription in the dust, "the…Ascendancy…has only begun."

The Prophets echo, "the gate…stays open…for hope."

A familiar voice breaks through Cass's thoughts, "you all right?"

And now standing before Cass...is Captain Sisko: Standing there, in a 1950's white hospital gown, with dangling hospital tubes from hospital equipment meant to check vital signs and a cast around his hand.

Assuming she's looking taken aback by the cast and all... Captain Sisko kind of uncomfortably says, "ohh. I'm sorry."

The cast and hospital tubes vanish. The hospital gown vanishes.

And, in the gown's place is Sisko's Starfleet uniform: Almost like he never left.

With a moderate deep sigh, Captain Sisko comments, "you'd think ascending as a Prophet would mean I can get changed easily. I'm still dizzy from all the images shoved at me from so many timelines. It's not easy."

With some mixed feelings, Cass awkwardly points out, "no. It's just... How the hell are you back after so long? I thought you were destroyed by Dukat! We all did!"

Captain Sisko concludes, "I thought showing those memories in your head again would make it all the clearer. But..."

Fairly nervously, Cass inquires, "but...what?"

Captain Sisko answers, "I hoped I didn't have to go into it. All right. Once, I had a vision from the Prophets: Of being in the 1950's. It felt personal."

Cass uncomfortably tries to say, "wait a second. You sure you...?"

Captain Sisko reflects, "Cass, there's a lot we didn't want to really do in the Dominion War. All we could do is put up a fight for what's right and go on. I take it this point of time is not that different from then."

Kind of sarcastic, Cass retorts, "yeah. I kind of heard that one before. But, thanks." Captain Sisko adds, "you're welcome."

He continues, "I was a science fiction writer named Benny Russell for a science fiction magazine in New York City at a time of great racial tension. It's a long story. But, for myself to fake my loss...I did what I felt I had to."

He explains, "I traded places with him, and waited in the examination room for the Prophets to come back when the time was right. I told myself it was just a vision: That I wasn't really destroying another man, and that it was just someone I dreamed of. I was only in that room a few minutes. But, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it... Faint sniffle. The uncertainty hurts. It all still hurts in a way. But, the Prophets said something drastic was necessary...so that a time travelling Lore wouldn't try to play God past the Prophets's heads for Section 31. Have you ever tried to explain time to the Prophets? It doesn't do a thing. So...I did what I felt I had to."

Captain Sisko is getting teary eyed, and Cass can tell. But, she doesn't comment on it.

Cass says uncomfortably, "oh god. I'm sorry. I... Sniffle. I don't know myself: About a lot of things."

Captain Sisko tries to assure, "it's all right. Well, not really. But..."

With a faint smirk, Cass interjects, "all we can do is go on. I got the "little" lecture, Emissary."

Captain Sisko kind of insists, "no. I wasn't going to say it again."

Cass is quick to figure, "but you were thinking it."

A little amused, Captain Sisko comments, "faint chuckle. Yes I was. But, even from what little I heard about you from the Prophets, I know better than to order you around."

Cass wipes away the teariness from her eyes.

Sounding a little amused herself, Cass goes, "good. Then I say we find when Lore tries to play God. I'll counterattack him and reprogram him to go back in time and stop the damage to the cosmos before it begins. You can be sure Dukat doesn't try anything."

Captain Sisko looks very reluctant with this idea.

He's thinking back to the Battle of Wolf 359: When Locutus of Borg told his crew they'll be assimilated. He's thinking back to when the Borg destroyed his Captain's ship...and his wife Jennifer was lost in the destruction.

Almost cold sounding, Captain Sisko concludes, "even if there was a chance, you'd be destroyed along with him. He'd overwhelm you. I can't let you just give up your life."

Cass comments back, "and it's my life to lose, Emissary. If you call this hellish life as a cosmic cocoon living."

Sisko pinpoints, "Cass...fighting is hard. Surrendering to life's hardships isn't a option. We should not give up: Not when life is still worth living."

Cass sadly reflects, "kind of hard when I don't know what life I want anymore. I just know I hate lives being lost and people being greatly underrepresented and put down by others."

Captain Sisko faintly smiles, "I think most everyone on Deep Space Nine have a similar story." Cass adds, "I don't doubt it."

Turning back to the present... Captain Sisko figures, "I'd say picking a life of your own choosing can wait until you can relax and celebrate. You were believed to be lost when you were confined for Starfleet Intelligence believing that you were a Changeling. What have you got to lose but the will to fight for that choice?"

Kind of reluctant, Cass considers, "hmm. You got a good point."

Captain Sisko says, "thank you, Cass. I'm glad you're still with us."

Cass adds more openly, "sure. But..." Sisko questions, "yes?"

Cass admits, "I... Heavy sigh. I don't want anyone's life down the gutter. That's why I want to go back in time and stop Section 31's damage to the cosmos and whatever else they hit along the way."

Captain Sisko reasons, "and that's a noble thing to want for all of us. All right. You got a idea that doesn't involve Lore or Dukat coming back after us and making things worse? Then I'm sure I'd like to hear it."

There's a awkward silence.

Captain Sisko concludes grimly, "I see. Then let's go and end this fight with the Pah-Wraiths and the Vohrsoth."

Cass agrees, "ok."

The airlock door opens up to a wormhole: A echo of the Bajoran Wormhole that was.

They start to walk together through the airlock, towards the wormhole. But, Cass pauses.

Captain Sisko is quick to ask, "is something wrong?"

A little nervously, Cass brings up, "what about Lore and the Borg?"

Captain Sisko remarks, "faint uneasy chuckle. I guess fortunately this time, time has no meaning for me. I've seen what's going to happen, and what you'll choose."

Cass concludes, "sorry. I'm still not sure what you..."

With a sympathetic hand on her shoulder... Captain Sisko mostly assures, "it'll be all right, Cass. Whatever happens, you'll choose what feels right to you. That's all anyone could ask."

With a faint smile, Cass adds, "thanks."

Captain Sisko then pulls his hand away.

He says, "sure. You ready to step through?"

Cass firmly nods, "yeah. I am."

Captain Sisko adds, "all right."

They step out to the wormhole.

And, in a flash of bright blue... They vanish.

Seconds later...

Kes's Bridge crew looks up...catching the tail end of a closing bright blue wormhole within the subspace distortion.

The second ensign calls out lowly, "what the hell was that?!"

Kes faintly smiles knowingly to herself.

She then says, "it's nothing like that. Faint embarrassed chuckle. I know where we are, and who's gone off the ship. It couldn't have happened at a better time."

As the wormhole closes... A all too certain moon is seen on the viewscreen.

The Darkened Deanna Troi, Captain Bashir, and Captain Geordi La Forge's ships come out of warp over the moon.

The Mainstream Captain Picard, Vash, Cass, Four, and Captain Sisko appear down on the metal fragment covered surface.

Very light brown worms with dark brown stripes are kept in the craters. Rustic metal plank vent like holes line the craters, coursing with ancient bio-electricity.

There's eight ancient stone obelisks with green mirror wedge like sides and strange burnt in glowing red bulky scarab like circles...with faintly familiar looking carvings of small creatures with bony pale scaled plates and darker colored gills.

And right between the obelisks, there's creatures with lots of clay like spidery centipede legs and arms: Weaving one big giant cocoon in a clay like disgustingly brown web...with hints of dark gray metal fragments and hints of humanoid cockroach like shells and yellowish moldy spider like legs behind them.

Shooting sounds are faintly going off over the contracting ancient dark red bio-electrical coils under the cocoon. And beyond any known sense of logic, they're rapidly beginning to grow around its bottom side: Contracting the cocoon strand by strand by the minute.

The creatures are large standing upright clay like worms, with swirls of very dark brown and pale gray across their bony bodies. Their locust like pincers from their dinosaur fossil like heads faintly shriek, even though the pincers themselves stay motionless.

The Mainstream Captain Picard looks like he's just seen a spectre from a long forgotten nightmare. He's almost frozen with fear.

He mutters under his breath, "oh my god."

Vash asks with concern, "what's wrong, Jean-Luc?"

Before anyone else can answer in the confusion... A telepathic voice echoes sharply through them all.

On Kes's Olympic Class ship, the three galaxy class ships... It doesn't matter. They hear them too.

They're bent over, crying out in great mental pain.

Flashes of the neural parasitic beings heading a Conspiracy over Starfleet Command go by, of Captain Picard and Commander Riker facing a taken over Lieutenant Commander Remmick and the mother creature heading it all with phasers ready...and the bio-electrical beacon with telepathic echoes from the mother creature that was only vaguely mentioned after it was all over. And soon, it all becomes as clear as a dark and stormy day isn't.

Over the cries... In slightly distorted but booming echoes... The Vohrsoth calls forth, "we wanted peaceful coexistence. Ever since the first Ancient One gave us life, all we wanted was to have peaceful coexistence: Biological perfection through matching the imperfect brawn with the perfect brains. No fighting: Just living. Then you destroyed one of our sisters. And, you and the Borg...you keep fighting to destroy the coexistence you've always wanted. You impudent biased fools! ! She was but a scout: A messenger of peaceful coexistence! ! And, you will pay with your bodies for our brawn. Impudent pursuits of perfection, aimless exploration of what we already explored... It's over. It's over...now that your bodies and your multiverse will be ours."

Being the first to get up...Cass barely gets back up.

She punches one of the Vohrsoth Queens right in the underside, making it cough hard a little in surprise before backing up a little.

Cass angrily mutters under her breath, "just try to destroy us, Vohrsoth. Just try it! I'm so sick and tired of cosmic beings like you. So, come on: Have at me!"

The first Vohrsoth Queen starts to clench its many arms, bristling and running its way towards her crazy fast.

Cass starts to turn herself into a very dark blue bio-electrical coil being.

And, as she injects herself with a hypospray dosage...she charges right for the first Vohrsoth Queen with a raised bio-electrically sparking off fist.


	16. Chapter 16(File III): Q and Vespers

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Historical Log III: Q and Vespers

In a time of the first evening stars... In a time of the first galactic spiral... There were no humanoids as we could hope to really understand.

There was only stars, almost barren looking forest planets with shrubs and barely any trees...and beings overseen by the Q Continuum.

The Prophets, the Douwd, the Nacene, a race called the Companions after a certain Companion that found home in the Gamma Canaris region, the Medusans, the Cytherians, the Thasians, the Commemorators... They were the first to see stars alongside the Q.

The Q were their equals. But, there were some beings who were more than equals: More than the Q would want to admit to.

The Q were the Questioners: Robes and all. They resembled beings of black, yellow, blue, transparent, and dark red rings of energy: Even though they didn't seem to phase through things in their preferred form in primordial times.

The A were the Answerers to their questions: Who themselves looked similar to the Q. And, above them all was the One: The one the Answerers answer to.

The One has many forms. Even the Q and the A don't know them all.

Yet, at least to the mischievous Q, The One seems to have a certain form he or she likes above the rest: A humanoid form with long black hair and barely any cloth of marble around her that likes the name Melony, walking on a beach with the cosmos themselves as the sea washing up asteroids and other such things on shore.

Whatever The One's true form is... The One isn't the end of this story: Only the beginning.

The Q Continuum, having quickly grown tired of having only themselves to play with and whatnot, gave life to the first mortal life and wildlife in the universe.

The large aquatic Bemotites on all fours with flippers, monkeys and apes, the spiky almost crocodile like Klondirgaks on all fours with bear like heads, the pterodactyl like Vostrom with V shaped heads and wings, the pale bony salamander like Carkunidan with digging claws... They were only on the tip of the proto-universe of primordial life.

And, for a time, all was well. All was bright in the stars.

The Commemorators were bald, wore white and gray shirts, and looked like claymation mannequins with faces. But, they were happy with their work.

They were the archivists for the Q Continuum, keeping record of every world for prosperity so omniscient minds of the Q could relax once in a while. Sparkly clay sculpture museum styled buildings housed the trillions of data in little dimensional pools of cosmic ripples.

But, there was one Commemorator who was deeply saddened by it all. He was Serfeum.

He left his world to go to the Q Continuum and plead his case, despite warnings from some of his friends including some of the Commemorators and some of the Prophets that "you're not going to like what follows".

His case to the Q courtroom was this:

What free will? The Bemotites, the Vostrom... They've been nothing but like toys to our juvenile amusement!

I say if they want to be more than just amusement, then let them have voices.

For the sake of all that is good of The One, let them choose for themselves!

Surprisingly, Serfeum didn't come on behalf of The One: It turned out The One was the one who authorized the creation of primordial life based on a majority vote in the Q Continuum, and he or she liked the idea of more amusement in the universe.

So, the Q called Serfeum out of order. And, Serfeum was taken away by two Q in all black emperor robes.

But, having actually prepared all too well for this because of the warnings given to him... Serfeum pressed his almost invisible chin down on the collar of his shirt as soon he was being taken away.

A sparkly clay claw shaped probe appeared over the door.

It shot bubble rays into the two Q, dissolving them into smoke.

Serfeum jump ran for it through the cosmos pools, avoiding capture from a group of Q with humming asteroid phaser shaped devices.

In just seconds, Serfeum was using his probe to wipe out the Q one by one.

The Commemorators didn't want to dissolve one of their own. So, the Q and the Commemorators got together along with the Answerers and The One to protect themselves and others in the Q Continuum before it got worse and capture him later for interrogation.

They combined the two into one project: The Guardian of Forever, the most sparkly clay like doughnut shaped structure of them all.

It even had artificial intelligence: A voice of its own, weirdly enough with everything else going on.

The Q asked it, "where is Serfeum?"

The Guardian of Forever answered cryptically, "with those that follow him."

As Melony, the One muttered a little uncomfortably, "that wasn't the question."

The Guardian of Forever answered, "that is one answer. I am your gateway, and I can answer differently."

Almost emotionlessly, one of the Answerers said, "we don't have time for another answer! Answer the location or locations of where he and his followers are."

The Guardian of Forever answered then, "since I have the answer to now give as you wish, I will. They are across time and space, of all that begins and goes on before my own beginning. They do not have to be found: They will come to attack...and then their locations change as it will be. Since Serfeum is the Vohrsoth leader, he will come as well."

One of the Q warily questioned, "the Vohrsoth?"

The Guardian of Forever declared, "behold what I cannot simply explain! The Vohrsoth."

Through the watery like ripples through the Guardian of Forever... There were spaceships: Giant sized cruiser versions of the probe from earlier, with watery ripple like windows and all. Entire planets could fit in their cargo bays.

In the Vohrsoth Cruisers were gone rogue members of Q, Commemorators, Answerers, ... Anyone that didn't feel they were being heard by the Q Continuum, right alongside Serfeum.

The Q Continuum was shocked and shaken when they quickly beamed themselves over and found out the news for themselves.

But, shock kind of turned back around to just uncertain unease when they looked closer at the rogue members's new clothes.

They were really wearing living large clay like worms as reeking squirming clothes, with swirls of very dark brown and pale gray across their bony bodies and dinosaur fossil like heads. Little chilling shrieks echo by the ears of the rogue members.

And, in front of the fleet of Vohrsoth Cruisers was Serfeum himself: Wearing his own living large clay like worm, looking extremely determined to fire at the Q Continuum again under the teariness in his eyes.

So, it wasn't long before the battle with the Vohrsoth really began.

The very stars were hurled at the Vohrsoth Cruisers. But, the Vohrsoth's minds were calculating: Even engineered to be faster by Serfeum in the not too distant and yet distant past.

Ten Vohrsoth Cruisers went down in flames. Most of the Vohrsoth Cruisers though just rose over the stars: Charging their bubble beam cannons for the Guardian of Forever and the Q Continuum across the cosmos.

Together, the Q Continuum slowed their beams: With the Prophets and the Medusans slowing time into a fluidic like transparent state with their hands merging with the Guardian of Forever.

Two hundred ten Vohrsoth and the rogue members with them were kind of surprised. But, they used this to their advantage: Run charging for them and leaving their ships like space was just a mythical pool of water with darkness and light.

Comets, more stars, black holes... The Vohrsoth and the Q Continuum fired off more of them.

Most of the Q Continuum was trying to just stun them: Using black holes to drain their cosmic internally held reserves of oxygen and suspend them in space.

The Vohrsoth uncoiled and struck: Wrapping tightly around members of the Q Continuum and reducing them into heated vapor sucked into the stars the Q Continuum were themselves throwing.

The Q Continuum got angry. The Vohrsoth were already there.

But, in the fierceness of the battle... The cosmos itself was starting to burn: With no time to suck it all away and go on in the vacuum of space.

Not taking it anymore... The One screamed, "enough! ! !"

As Melony, time resumed before her raised hands.

The Vohrsoth and the Q Continuum were caught unaware: All suspended in time and space, like a floating museum of fluctuating holograms with burnt processors capable of running planets.

When they all came to... It turned out The One cursed the Vohrsoth with mortality, before leaving for a beach.

The One was so saddened by the battle of the Vohrsoth that The One gave the universe to the Q. And the Q, a little bittered by how much they hurt The One, turned the Vohrsoth into little worms: Forever cursed to be able to be stepped on.

They cursed Serfeum to become a small venomous spider on a inhospitable purple gas covered world along with the Vohrsoth. The Vohrsoth Leader's coughing could be heard across the cosmos.

They exiled their former members of their own Continuum: Leaving them to harsh isolation on the same world. But, that turned out to be a mistake.

The rogue members soon found Serfeum in his spider form.

With the gas and some fluidic cosmic space left, they put him into a comatose state in a block of it. They all put themselves in a slower comatose state with thinner blocks of gas and fluidic cosmic space over the whole planet: To awaken at a time when the cosmic barriers would weaken, and they could start testing on themselves to become powerful once again.

But, even when the cosmic barriers became weak billions of years later... The best the rogue members could do was turn them into parasitic beings with bony pale scaled plates and darker colored gills before they were lost to the gas.

Most members of the Q Continuum had quite a few mixed feelings from what happened.

The Medusans rendered themselves mortal. They were too saddened by what happened that the pain of telepathically hearing others hurt in the Q Continuum was simply too much, and it almost drove them to destruction.

Having grown tired of the One's and the Q's orders... The Answerers decided to claim the Guardian of Forever for themselves a thousand years later to pass through all of time and space to evolve into non-corporeal beings and explore on their own.

They were hoping to answer their own question, "can we find a order of our own? One with more questions, and nothing to grow tired of or regret?"

They hoped to...only to be met with so much failure that they gave themselves amnesia to repress the guilt of their failures or mad with power.

They came back through the Guardian of Forever to try to come back to what they thought were their home planet, only for a Time for Yesterday to kick in and for them all to grimly realize they couldn't really find home again without endangering all of time and space.

The Answerers were too clouded within to know where home is without the Guardian of Forever, and there'd be too many temporal anomalies to rupture the space-time continuum if they or even the Q tried.

Others in the Q Continuum kept their distance, essentially becoming continuums of their own. But, ones like The Traveler and the Zarkonians came into being later.

The Commemorators, saddened all the more by the loss of humanoid life, changed their name to the Preservers and rebuilt humanoid life from the ground up from fallout from the battle with the Vohrsoth.

There would be enough population to go on. The Preservers would model their own genetics in their rebirth to "seed" a second chance. But, with the downside of most anyone not knowing what really happened until The Chase for a genetically buried puzzle would reveal themselves to them.

Meanwhile, the Vohrsoth Leader found a way off the planet by burrowing deep into the outer core and making a hollow rock to launch inside it with a volcanic eruption into space.

The Vohrsoth Leader, not realizing rogue members were still on the planet simply because of how small he was and mistaking them for a team from the Q Continuum looking to do worse to him, ended up caught in one of the Caretaker's displacement waves when the Caretaker took a interest in his launched spider form.

Thanks to the Caretaker's experimentation on his spider form, the Vohrsoth Leader became giant sized and could speak.

The Caretaker hoped that if he could talk to a being from billions of years before his own creation, he would be able to narrow down his search for another Caretaker in just minutes.

But, with billions of years gone by, he had no idea the Vohrsoth Leader was so evil. He thought they were just rumors and that he meant well if he had the chance to unite the Q Continuum in a new and better light: Just as the Caretaker meant well with his Caretaker Array. He was wrong.

The Vohrsoth Leader tore out some of the transporter circuits, some of the bulkheads, and some of the Ocampan plant samples with webs: Enough to launch itself away with a crude escape pod capable of having transporters.

The Caretaker tried to stun him. But, he was coughing hard on the ground. If it wasn't for his array's emergency transporter recall, he'd be lost to the cosmos.

The Vohrsoth Leader experimented with the plant samples and samples of derelict ships in the Delta Quadrant in his quest to make the Vohrsoth rise again, creating the first Delta Quadrant Vohrsoth vats to grow Vohrsoth fighters with humanoid cockroach like shells and yellowish moldy spider like legs.

Then came a Starfleet survey team.

The blue gilled Vohrsoth's mother creature established contact with other Vohrsoth in the Delta Quadrant, and the rest was history.

Klingons wiped out Vohrsoth scouts when they wiped out Tribbles on their worlds. Trill were considered too dangerous to overtake unless Starfleet falls, which failed to happen in light of the unsuccessful conspiracy the Vohrsoth tried to have come about.

The Delta Quadrant has had so many battles that any clandestine attempt has been extremely difficult at best, and that's not even getting into the big alien threats Captain Kirk and his crew fought against in classic Star Trek years.

With their high degree of telepathy, the Vohrsoth scouts purposely made themselves forget how and when they took over Starfleet officers: To mask themselves from even the Q, who would just write it off as "the inevitable forgetfulness of human memory from time to time".

The only problem was that the Starfleet officers they took over in turn forgot about old times and had to talk their way through it to try to avoid suspicion...which ultimately led to Walker Keel and several other Starfleet captains catching on, and the start of the end to the Vohrsoth's then soon to be unsuccessful conspiracy thanks to Captain Picard and his crew stopping them in time.

Planting vine forest Vohrsoth with wicked looking mostly dark blue beetle like thorns on uncharted desert and swamp planets with just wildlife were yet another attempt to take down Starfleet Command piece by piece. They even planted blue gill Vohrsoth scouts in Starfleet medical officers: Some of which were the first to beam down to the vine forest Vohrsoth.

One of those doctors was Doctor Pulaski: Before she "happened" to get transferred to the USS Enterprise to gradually carry out the Vohrsoth's wishes.

It began with delayed medical scans in her head.

Then it got worse to the point of authorizing clones of her and Commander Riker in secret only to be shot later the next day, irrational proposals authorized behind the backs of the crew and then claiming "she was just following orders from Starfleet Command" to Starfleet Command that gave Starfleet mess after mess to clean up...and almost letting Commander Riker be lost to one of the Vohrsoth's more dangerous vine forest Vohrsoth's attacks.

Starfleet Command though knew almost immediately something was wrong, and not just because of losing several Starfleet crews to desert planets that reportedly "have suddenly sprouted vines of fury" before their ships were torn apart and they were not heard from again.

Starfleet Intelligence in turn officially transferred Doctor Beverly Crusher to Starfleet Medical...when really she was recruited to help stop this new breed of Vohrsoth without killing them so they could "create a strong enough pathogen to wipe them all out before it gets any worse".

A big part of why she was recruited was her unique first hand experience with the Vohrsoth, and her coolheadedness around the conspiracy the Vohrsoth almost succeeded with.

But, controversially... Another part of why was that for any mess a mind controlled Doctor Pulaski made, Doctor Crusher in all black would rush in with a Starfleet Intelligence team to clean it up. Not even a member of Starfleet Command was authorized to tell Captain Picard on his own ship.

When she first found this part out, she was not happy.

Doctor Crusher was pointing a phaser at her Starfleet Intelligence team commander. He is in all black and has short black hair with a little gray.

Doctor Crusher commented, "normally with a conspiracy, there's some kind of strong resistance: Not just a "simple" clean up of their actions. Now what the hell is going on?"

The Starfleet Intelligence Commander sighed uneasily. He reasoned, "Doctor Crusher...this is a more delicate situation than you realize."

Still not lowering the phaser, Doctor Crusher figured, "I'm sorry. But, I'm having a hard time accepting it's more delicate than before."

With a faint smile, the Commander added, "lower the phaser, and I'll explain."

Doctor Crusher lowered the phaser. But, with a hand still on it: Cautiously.

The Commander explained the fully story, "the last time we fought the Vohrsoth, we lost many good people. Now we're trying to stop the vine Vohrsoth from being seeded across the galaxy without losing any more people than there already has. The only best plan that we've found is to let Doctor Pulaski onboard for a year: Just long enough for our teams to get long awaited telepathically gathered intelligence reports on the Vohrsoth's telepathic communication without detection and evacuate as many planets as we can. If you have a better plan, feel free to tell me. We could use any more input you have on the Vohrsoth."

There was then some awkward silence. But Doctor Crusher took her hand off the phaser.

The Starfleet Intelligence commander reasoned, "I thought as much."

A few years later, in light of many unsuccessful invasions... Most Vohrsoth in the Delta Quadrant formed a dimension of their own with a secret crudely cobbled together space station called the Forge as a more forceful approach.

Some objected. But, they were wiped out by their own kind: Not too unlike the Q Continuum and what led to the battle with the Vohrsoth.

A team called the Hazard Team from the USS Voyager was able to stop the first Forge and escape: Especially thanks to acting leader of the Hazard Team Ensign Munro.

But, it wouldn't be the last time the Vohrsoth made a Forge. For, they were only the fighters: Not the Vohrsoth Queens.

It wouldn't be the last time a message from the Preservers wouldn't be taken so well. Yet, it brought the Romulans and humans a little closer to peaceful relations.

It wouldn't be the last time a message from the Prophets wouldn't be taken so well. Yet in the end, it brought Starfleet and Bajor a little closer to peaceful relations, helped Captain Sisko reach his own inner light time and again, and ensured Bajor's future was safe from the likes of Gul Dukat and the Dominion.

It wouldn't be the last time the Q ending up fighting each other. Yet, Voyager's crew was able to calm down The Q and the Grey before them before it got any worse.

Evening stars, morning stars... They burn a little brighter than the time of primordial life.

There may have been battles again and again. But, through most every timeline... In most every corner of space...

For every vesper, there's a morning star: A star of hope against the dark of night.


	17. Chapter 17: Radiance Accelerator Wave

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 17:

Presently, with Cass...

Cass goes to punch again.

But, with all her many arms... The Vohrsoth Queen grabs her...tossing her hard for the nearest crater.

She coughs a little. But, she's just barely holding on to the edge. Even with her new form crackling in bio-electrically resurged energy, she finds herself struggling to get back up.

Faint hints of worms are massing at a hundred feet below.

The Vohrsoth Queen mutters, "faint laugh. Impudence knows no bounds."

She stands there, pinching into the air while Cass's hands start to slip.

The Vohrsoth Queen derives, "but, your bounds... Your body... They're all nothing to you now. Let us alleviate your pain. Give in to peaceful coexistence."

Thinking back to her painful conversations with Four, Kes, and Captain Sisko... A tear falls from Cass's face.

She digs her bio-electrically charged coil fingers into the crater's soil.

And, glaring back at the Vohrsoth Queen... Cass just mutters, "I'll never take orders from you: Go to hell!"

The Vohrsoth Queen sighs almost pittingly, "you're only bounding yourself. Let us show..."

She's about ready to kick Cass off from the edge. A hint of great fear is in Cass's eyes.

Suddenly... Four angrily injects her assimilation tubules into the Vohrsoth Queen's side.

The Vohrsoth Queen just faintly laughs, "of course. You're not your only reckless team member from days past."

She grabs Four from behind with one arm, throwing her for the crater.

Glaringly, Four fires her phaser in mid-air...aiming for her head.

All it does is flare. But, the Vohrsoth Queen faintly shrieks as she covers her eyes.

With a satisfied smirk, Cass anchors her feet into the crater with self extended coils.

In seconds though, worry comes over her face.

Cass extends out one of her bio-electric coil arms, trying to catch Four's descent with thin branching out coils.

She catches her.

But, from the velocity alone... They fall down the crater, tumbling down over and over to the very dark bottom.

They try to get up, only to fall back down in crater dust. Miraculously, they're only slightly dazed and dizzy.

The worms are massing their way to them, passing through the bio-electric sparking vents on the way. Faint dark red glows of bio-electricity come and go from the worms's bodies.

With faint relief, Four concludes, "thank you for protecting me." Sounding relieved, Cass adds, "you're welcome."

Around then, with Vash and the Mainstream Captain Picard...

The Mainstream Captain Picard fires his phaser. But, much to his frustration, it does nothing.

Telepathic echoes of a personal Tapestry Q gave him a full realization of flow through him. But, he shakes it off just as quickly: Ducking behind a obelisk.

He calls out lowly, "Vash?!"

From around the obelisk, Vash is taking off one of her necklaces...revealing a prismatic faded circle with some stone carved runes. It's been under her necklaces on a goldish string for who knows how long.

She faintly smiles. She adds sarcastically, "it'll take more than that to turn me off, Jean-Luc. Though, after these "claymation" Vohrsoth, I'm not sure what would with you."

The Mainstream Captain Picard comments, "faint chuckle. Well, I'm glad one of us is having fun while the multiverse is in danger."

The bristling and running nearby suddenly stops. There's slight confusion and faint shrieks as two Vohrsoth Queens walk around, looking for them.

Faintly amused, the Mainstream Captain Picard guesses, "one of your "acquired" artifacts with Q?"

He punches one of the Vohrsoth Queens in the underside, making the surprised Vohrsoth Queen go down and cough hard before stunning her with his phaser in the same place.

He's clutching his throbbing hand. But, the throbbing is starting to subside.

Vash just takes the prismatic circle off her neck and slams it hard into a Vohrsoth Queen's arm, making her clench it and shriek.

Vash smiles knowingly. She answers, "well... The Preservers had many obelisks in the galaxy, collecting dust. I'm sure they won't miss one little carved out circle."

With some mixed feelings, the Mainstream Captain Picard concludes, "of course. And because a renegade Preserver gave rise to the Vohrsoth, it also happens to reflect their telepathy."

With her other arms, the Vohrsoth Queen suddenly grabs Vash. The prismatic artifact falls from her hand.

Vash groans hard as the grip tightens. She calls out, "now, Q!"

The Mainstream Captain Picard turns around...to see the necklace on the ground suddenly change back into the mischievous Q.

Almost grumpily, Q goes, "all right Vash. You seemed to be doing astoundingly fine without my help. But, I'm here now to come to the rescue."

The Mainstream Captain Picard faintly smirks to himself.

With a snap of his fingers, Q calls upon a force of musket carrying orange warthog like Napoleonic uniformed officers to charge for the Vohrsoth Queen and a third one.

They flail their many arms into the pig like officers, taking them all out. But, they both shriek as phaser fire from the officers hits them right in the undersides.

One of them releases Vash, who stumbles back to her feet from the high fall. Yet, she's quick to pick back up the prismatic piece and pocket it.

The Vohrsoth are clutching their undersides as they fall over and lie there.

Not far off, off by another obelisk... Subspace corridors ring around and around, making two Vohrsoth Queens dizzy enough from disorientation to fall down.

Kes comes out of one of her then dissipating subspace corridors...turning the moon soil under them into cooling hot liquid to bury the Vohrsoth's many arms and bodies under it in crushing pressure.

They're down. But, their physical condition is rapidly healing: Almost as if nothing happened.

The Mainstream Captain Picard rushes over, "you all right?"

Vash faintly nods solemnly: Even as she's clutching her side, looking a little shaken.

Turning back to them...Kes points out nervously, "that's good. But, we don't have much time left to stop the Forge."

Around then, in a certain crater...

Cass starts to get up.

With two hands facing down Cass suggests, "stay here, Four. I got to try something."

Reluctantly sitting up, Four inquires nervously, "Cass?"

Cass asks, "yeah?"

Four starts to ask, "you sure about...?"

Cass sums up, "faint cough. Faint chuckle. Yes. I am. A logical idea, Four. I thought you'd like that."

Approvingly, Four comments with a smirks, "you are correct: I would. You go ahead."

Cass faintly smirks back, before standing before the worms.

She reaches out to them, extending her bio-electric coil fingers and purposely sparking them off more to get them swarming around her arm: Glowing in dark blue bio-electricity.

Cass stumbles a little as her left side starts to get numb from all the drained energy and sheer mass from the worms.

But, in a second... Cass fires off some bio-electric sparks from her right arm. They dance up the side of the crater.

The worms go for them like crazy, leaving Cass's weakly sparking left side.

She keeps firing up bio-electric sparks for the worms to feed off of...running up the crater alongside them with resurged energy.

The Vohrsoth Queen, a little puzzled, is about to climb down herself.

Then...the worms swarm up for some bio-electric sparks around her legs.

She angrily flings them all off her legs, making them fall back into the crater.

In seconds though...Cass jump punches for the Vohrsoth Queen.

Taken completely by surprise, Cass punches her out...landing on her unconscious body.

She darkly smirks to herself, before realizing what she's standing on.

Looking very uneasy by the sight, she quickly gets off.

Four climbs out of the crater to join her: Barely standing, but holding out between heavy breaths.

Cass checks worriedly, "Four! Are you ok?"

Four mostly assures her, "yes. I am now, Cass. That was a most efficient plan."

Cass smiles brightly, "thank you. Now, let's stop that Forge."

They both start fast walking back for the obelisks.

Around then, further out...

Pah-Wraith flames are converging for the Grand Nagus's fleet...following the incoming hundreds of Borg Pods like hate filled gas to a flame.

Around then, with Captain Sisko...

Two Vohrsoth Queens crowd around him with their arms, beating on him.

But, in seconds... Captain Sisko up punches both of them off.

They crash land on the moon. But, they're only slightly dazed.

Captain Sisko mutters, "I really don't have time for this. Where are you?!"

Suddenly, in a whirl of Pah-Wraith flames... Both Vohrsoth Queens shriek before the flames as they try to cover their eyes.

Temporarily blinded by the Pah-Wraith fire, Dukat wastes no time burning their nearly invincible shrieking essences down into the moon.

Captain Sisko calls out angrily, "Dukat! ! !"

Dukat grins darkly, "the Prophets and their beloved Emissary. Faint laugh. I see now. You know Benjamin, I'm almost proud of you. You destroyed a part of yourself so you could live to face me again."

Captain Sisko comments coldly, "not exactly. Benny still lives in me. You should have known you can't destroy me or a idea. But instead, you're pathetic."

Dukat gloats, "then why did it take this long, Benjamin? Since this is the last time we will ever be together, let's try to speak honestly. We've both had our victories and defeats. Now it's time to resolve our differences and face the ultimate truth. I've won. You've lost."

Captain Sisko mutters back at him, "the Pah-Wraiths will never conquer anything. Not Bajor. Not the Celestial Temple. And, certainly not the universe."

Dukat asks, "and who's going to stop us?"

Sounding very certain, Captain Sisko answers, "I am."

Dukat laughs. He then says, "well, I'd sure like to see you try." Captain Sisko says, "then let's get on with it."

They both soar up for the stars, ready for their final fight as Pah-Wraith and Prophet flames of dark red and light blue burn around them.

Around then, not far from orbit of the Vohrsoth moon...

Seventeen Vohrsoth probes are coming out of warp. They look like dark red lined triple tipped toy grappling hooks with mostly clay gray shrouded wind up grapple launchers, even though the sparks from their dark red bio-electric coils make it clear there's no grapple launcher.

They're firing dark purple pulse beams at the galaxy class ships, Voyager, Kes's Olympic Class vessel, and the Captain's Yacht. Shields are already starting to buckle from the hits.

Some lieutenants are commanding Kes's Olympic Class ship, struggling to hold on to their seats as the bridge shakes hard.

A rainfall of sparks go off from the USS Excalibur's bridge. Lights are out.

Only the viewscreen is light for Commander Shelby to keep a lock on the three Vohrsoth Probes onscreen. Emergency force fields are barely holding: Even as Thomas Riker is down next to the warp core, manually squeezing more power out of some of the Borg shuttle components they found to transfer to the shields and sweating like crazy.

Sparks fly on the USS Voyager's Bridge. Harry Kim and Lydia Anderson are handling Sensors and Tactical.

On the Captain's Yacht... Captain Picard is in the back with Data.

Facing the viewscreen... Captain Picard checks, "is it ready, Geordi?"

On the other side of the viewscreen... Captain Geordi La Forge breaks it down, "the Unimatrix multicom reflection sorting grid from the primary Borg Homeworlds is ready. We're going to have to keep the ships at least a hundred meters away from the probes to make this grid work. But, all you have to do is give us the go ahead."

The Captain's Yacht shakes hard. Sparks go flying. Captain Picard holds on to his seat, while Data just orients his legs better to stay standing.

The first Andorian in front comments, "I still don't know about this. We're barely keeping ahead. We won't hold it for long without warp engines."

Captain Picard concludes, "moderate sigh. I know there's great risk here. But, if Geordi in any universe says it'll work, it'll work. Make it so, Captain."

With a faint smile, he faintly nods, "thank you, sir. We'll get right on it. Captain La Forge out."

The screen then cuts out.

Over fleetwide communications... With some lingering nervousness, Darkened Deanna Troi reports, "all right. Captain Bashir and I are ready." Captain Geordi La Forge reports back, "good. We're going to need all the shields you can give us for the displacement waves."

From the Captain's Yacht... The Andorian co-pilot reports, "they're powering up their displacement beams."

Captain Picard confirms solemnly, "very well. Remodulate the displacement beams as discussed, Data."

Data acknowledges, "acknowledged, Captain. Remodulating."

With a rapid pressing of keys... He erases the preselected isodimensional coordinates, inputs a data reflection grid of ghost Borg signatures from the first Borg Homeworlds, and starts to line in place two new sets of coordinates.

Captain La Forge's small fleet is steering hard around the pulse beams, trying to stay one hundred meters away from the speeding up Vohrsoth Probes.

Sparks fly. Warp engines sound like they're grinding from the strain of it all. Main shields fail.

Emergency shields go up quick. But, they're already down to seventy percent.

Over the USS Excalibur's communications... Thomas Riker exclaims, "all right! We've got shields back up. Give them hell."

Commander Shelby smiles darkly, "delighted, Tom. Firing."

Just before going to warp, the USS Excalibur fires two crude Borg missiles in wire covered gray tubes for the fleet of Vohrsoth Probes.

A spread of flaming sewer water like liquid and metal shards tears through ten Vohrsoth Probes...decimating them and critically damaging two more in its wake.

Now having a lock... The five remaining probes fire charged up dark purple ribbon like displacement waves at Captain Geordi La Forge's fleet.

The Captain's Yacht lowers shields, letting a remodulated displacement wave carry them to Rene's coordinates from earlier...and entering the lightning subspace distortion where they'll relay those coordinates back to the past. From further examination of the coordinates by Doctor Bashir, it turns out it was a time paradox all along.

Together, the three galaxy class ships and the USS Voyager extend shields: Shaking off most of the impact through their shields as they vanish.

Just as quickly though... They appear again: Right behind the remaining Vohrsoth Probes.

Over fleetwide communications... Captain La Forge orders, "fire!"

All of them fire phasers into the Vohrsoth Probe's pulse beam emitters in seconds.

They explode, unleashing shockwaves of displacement waves.

Looking very surprised by this... Captain La Forge orders, "damn! Attention all ships: Maximum warp!"

With no shields left to shield them... The fleet goes to maximum warp.

Warp nacelles spark off like crazy and explode off as the edge of the displacement waves hits.

Borg panels spark and go out. Several members of Captain Geordi La Forge's crew are slammed hard into the floor: Falling unconscious, both former Borg and not.

Captain Geordi La Forge calls out, "Hugh! !"

He rushes for the unconscious alternate Hugh's side.

Darkened Deanna Troi ducks for cover as her main console explodes into the burning ceiling.

Lights go out across the board...as the ships spiral out of control in mid-warp.

Around then...

There's a room with light gray walls and completely jet black terminals, with only the mostly yellow controls to tell they're terminals. Windows on dark red automatic doors lead to faint dark blue bubble like corridors beyond. The bright orange lined mostly black and red insignia for Red Squadron is across the doors.

The windows looking out to the sky show stars.

And, sitting at one of the terminals...is Rene: As a young adult, with a few scars left from the fire across his neck and left hand. He wears a dark red Starfleet uniform and a Starfleet combadge: Circa 2370's.

He has a light gray prosthesic arm with gold ribbons along it in place for his right. His hair has grown to medium length, with several strands over one of his eyes.

Before Rene's terminal, there's a astrological chart of the entire galaxy made up of nanobits of yellow and blue swirls. Alongside it are diagnostics on Lore and two phasing cloaks: One in Lore, and one in a particular Starfleet starship in infamy.

He doesn't even look up from the terminal as one of the automatic doors opens.

Stepping through is a admiral with gray short hair in the back of his head, mostly bald, and with a almost icy smugness to him. His name is Admiral Erik Pressman.

He faintly uneasily sighs. He comments, "I see you're still serious as always."

Rene is quick to bitterly comment back, "you think I like these duties? That's what fighting too long does to you. Always serious. Heavy sigh."

He irritatedly hits some keys to keep the matter-antimatter balance balanced on both cloaks, like he's done this many times before.

Admiral Pressman figures, "after the first tour of duty, no one said the path to becoming Captain was easy. But soon, with your command of Red Squad, the universe will be in the hands of Starfleet again. And then, you'll be free from checking our phasing cloaks."

Rene heavily sighs again. He concludes, "I guess that's good. I just... I miss my family. It's been years. Would I even have a place on Earth? A few years... Even if we all come back to the Alpha Quadrant... Would it even look the same?"

Admiral Pressman figures, "it might not. I know that can be terrifying. But, you're a great kid Rene. I'm sure you'll find a place. I'm sure your family would be proud of how far you've come."

Teary eyed, Rene concludes, ""uncle" Jean-Luc and mummy wouldn't. But, especially Jean-Luc. He always was torn about the Borg. Even though he never said it in front of me, I could tell. Maybe my father would be proud. Maybe. Faint sniffle. They were all lost to the fire. But, I can remember them like they were standing right here."

A red alert goes off.

Admiral Pressman tries to assure him, "sorry. I...just can't imagine going through that. You did though, which sure as hell means something. I got to be on the Bridge."

With a solemn nod, Rene adds, "I know. Thank you."

Admiral Pressman just nods back with a faint smile, "of course."

He heads through the automatic door, closing behind him.

The room shakes hard. But, Rene reactively steadies himself as he keeps pressing keys on the terminal: Locking onto more and more dark green and gray swirled Borg Environmental Probe Transwarp signatures while keeping an eye on the side diagnostics.

Not long after...

The USS Pegasus's Engineering section and Bridge are shaking hard.

Sparks go flying. Wires flail. Piping smashes on broken in fence styled support beams.

A Borg Queen vessel with dark blue pillar like tubes all around its octachedron shape is firing Particle Subspace Bubbles like missiles at the USS Pegasus, with almost invisible crackles against the lightning subspace distortions out and about.

Admiral Pressman stumbles on the way to his captain's chair. But, he catches himself over it: Pulling himself up.

Admiral Pressman calls out, "report!"

A Section 31 agent at Tactical reports, "our Romulan cloak has failed, sir! We're being bombarded by subspace particles. We can't hold shields much longer."

The now cracked silver lined bio-stasis chamber in Engineering has many breathing tubes, hospital food tubes, and fogged up glass. And, inside the chamber...is a unconscious Rene: With a reconfigured Borg implant port in the back of his head connected by wires directly to the USS Pegasus's otherwise unattended Astrometrics section a bit a ways off...and a motionless plain gray prosthetic arm lying there since several years ago.


	18. Chapter 18: Onslaught of Lasersights

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 18:

Not long before the battle over the Vohrsoth moon, on the USS Voyager...

Past Kathryn was sitting in the Ready Room, somewhat nervously holding a tree styled Akoonah of her own on her lap.

A very tense and nervous looking Captain Janeway was sitting opposite her. But, it wasn't just the lightning subspace distortions of time and space that were on their minds.

Captain Janeway hailed the Bridge from her Ready Room.

Captain Janeway checked, "remodulated displacement wave status?"

From the Bridge, over communications... Harry Kim firmly reported, "remodulation in eight minutes. We're in position for mid-warp transport."

With a faint smile, Captain Janeway concluded, "good. And Harry? Try to keep Voyager in one piece until we're back."

Bordering on sarcastic, Harry Kim had gone with, "thanks. As always, I'll do my best. Acting Captain Harry Kim out."

He cuts off the communication channel.

Past Kathryn inferred, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. But, why don't we all beam down to the Borg ship on the other side of this lightning subspace distortion? We both know two captains are better than one against the Borg."

Captain Janeway started to argue firmly, "sorry. But, I think the element of surprise would be better if..."

Past Kathryn though was quick to point out, "no. I know you. It's something more than that. Isn't it?"

After a bit... Captain Janeway heavily sighed. She was faintly teary eyed.

Knowing there was no getting around it with herself... Captain Janeway came out with what's on her mind, "I may not find Chakotay as flattering as you. But, I was close friends with Chakotay in this universe. I don't want to lose him again to the Borg or Section 31. But, with two teams captained by us on two opposing ships, I'm hoping no one will be."

Past Kathryn concluded solemnly, "all right. I think I understand." Captain Janeway faintly smiled, "I'm glad we can agree: Now more than ever."

With a faint raised eyebrow and a faint smile... Past Kathryn reflected, "you've sure come a long way, Captain."

Captain Janeway firmly nodded, "so have you, Captain. Now let's get to the transporter."

Past Kathryn figured, "right."

Holding the Akoonah still... She realized, "I'll be sure to drop this off at our quest quarters on the way. I wouldn't want to damage it."

With a bittersweet tone, Captain Janeway concluded, "I'm afraid there's no time. But for now, you can leave it in my Ready Room under the desk."

With some added relief, Past Kathryn said, "thanks."

With some residing mixed feelings around earlier years with Chakotay still floating in her mind... Captain Janeway bittersweetly insisted, "don't mention it."

Past Kathryn left the device under Captain Janeway's desk.

They both walked out of the ready room, with Past Kathryn right behind her.

Presently, on the other side of the galaxy...

Ehras is sitting in the Ready Room of the USS Defiant, with a faintly smirking Captain Nog sitting opposite her.

Captain Nog insists, "no. It's fine. I just wanted to congratulate you on your plan."

Looking kind of nervous, Ehras just says, "thanks." Captain Nog adds, "of course."

In some mixed relief, Ehras admits, "honestly, I was expecting to be brought in for questioning by your crew. I mean, it was without authorization."

Bordering on cold... Captain Nog deduces, "I know. It was just a test of your loyalties. With the Andorian Empire being known in any timeline for their strong attitudes and strong wills, I'm sure you can understand my precautions."

With a faint smile, Ehras comments, "I guess. But, you have a funny way of showing it."

Teary eyed, Captain Nog uncomfortably says, "well...I don't like the fighting with the Borg anymore than you seem to do yourself. Sigh. I lost my best friend to the Borg. His name was Jake." Ehras says solemnly, "sorry to hear that."

Captain Nog tries to assure himself, "it's all right. Faint uneasy laugh. Well, when the fighting is over, it will be. But still... Thank you."

Ehras says, "you're welcome."

Captain Nog adds, "although, when the fighting is over..."

He starts to lie back in his chair with his feet up, smirking. But, he just lies back: Thinking back on Jake. His smirk then vanishes.

Captain Nog concludes, "we could always use a good second in command on the Defiant, and someone in this universe has to help lead the Andorians back to a great empire. Perhaps you would consider taking the job?"

Ehras faintly sighs.

She lightly remarks, "you've got a adorable crew: All ready to fight together. But, you've got your crew, and I got a empire to go back to."

Captain Nog concludes, "too bad. I was starting to get to liking the idea."

Ehras reflects, "faint chuckle. It might be a while until the Andorian Empire in my universe can fully recover from the Borg. If it wasn't for my people back in my universe, I'd be tempted to take you up on it. But, temptation doesn't a empire make."

She starts to get up. She turns to leave through the automatic door.

But then... Captain Nog adds all too confidently, "clearly you've never seen Ferenginar."

Ehras turns back to him.

She comments, "oh I have. In my universe though, they service us."

Captain Nog goes, "ouch."

Ehras figures, "faint chuckle. Don't take it the wrong way. You're just not my type."

She leaves Captain Nog to his thoughts, looking slightly amused and sighing to himself.

Then...a hail comes in through communications.

Captain Nog checks, "yes? What is it?"

Through communications, Okala reports, "we have found the Jem'Hadar Borg Sphere, sir. You said you wanted to know as soon as we found it."

Captain Nog darkly grins, "good. Now the Borg will pay: In pieces."

Not long after...

In the dark of space... A Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Sphere is approaching some barren moons, where a good handful of Klingon Birds-of-Prey from Kronos are coming around the edge of the Gamma Quadrant to prepare to fire.

With its dark purple and silvery Jem'Hadar fighter hull plating and full shroud capability, it de-shrouds itself in front of them: Quick to fire Borg cutting beams to catch them all.

From Transporter Room 2... A very calm looking Ehras with a Cryor ready and some grinning Klingons with Bat'leths ready are ready on the transporter pad.

From Transporter Room 1... Doctor Bashir and Jadzia Dax are ready on the transporter pad.

Slightly turning to her... Doctor Bashir asks with some concern, "are you ready for this, Jadzia? I understand if..."

With a faint smile, Jadzia Dax says, "no. It's all right, Julian. Well, more or less all right. But, I'm ready for a good old fashioned battle for honor if you are."

Doctor Bashir faintly smiles back. He lightly comments, "not exactly how I'd put it. But, I suppose that's close enough. Doctor Bashir to Bridge. Two to beam in."

While the Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Sphere's shields are down... Both teams beam in.

Since it's part organic and part machine, their shrouding systems seriously drains their Borg shields and force fields. Doctor Bashir and Sarina have already caught on to these Borg Spheres's major flaw a month ago.

They can only shield themselves or fire. So, they only come when the Borg Collective considers them absolutely necessary.

Then... The USS Defiant and the Andorian Battleships fire EM pulse cannons into the Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Sphere's cutting beams: Destroying them before the Borg can regenerate.

On the leading Klingon Bird-of-Prey... R'Kad goes, "laugh! Now this is a battle. No more planet of a shell. How do you like us now, tohzahs? How do you like us now?!"

The Klingon Birds-of-Prey start to break off...coming around again and firing disrupters into the already damaged sections.

Several Jem'Hadar Borg get sucked out the corridors and into the darkness. But, the corridors are being quickly refortified with slamming down Borg nanoprobe laced Jem'Hadar fighter bulkheads.

And, two more Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Spheres are coming at Transwarp.

Around then, back on the Vohrsoth moon...

The Vohrsoth cocoon is now the size of a bunched up Greek archway, crackling with self worked in dark red bio-electric coils and getting redder by the second. It's becoming a Forge seed, full of ready and capable Vohrsoth bio-engineered fighters.

Several lightning subspace distortions are slowly rolling down from reeking dropping strands of Vohrsoth cocoon webbing, coming for the cocoon.

Kes, Vash, the Mainstream Captain Picard, and Q are ready to blast the cocoon with everything they got. But then...there's a rumble.

Looking at the subatomic particles around... Kes mutters, "you can't be serious."

At near disbelief, the Mainstream Captain Picard asks, "what?"

Sounding unnerved and uneasy, Kes points out, "just...there."

Crawling out of the craters...are bright pinkish red bio-electric coil resembling larvae with bio-electrically strapped in golem like red gilled pincer claws.

Q just comments, "they're baby Vohrsoth. What did you expect?"

Looking more than a little uneasy, Vash suggests, "well, I don't know about you. But, it'd be nice if you could call up Preserver pacifiers or something."

The Mainstream Captain Picard tries to phaser blast one's claws. But, all it does is pause a little, absorb the energy, and just keep crawling for them.

Reluctantly, Q concludes, "and risk the end of the space-time continuum? Hardly. However..."

With a firm smile, Kes finishes the thought, "...we can change the environment around them."

Q chimes, "and I didn't even have to spell it out. How refreshing." A little annoyed sounding, Kes comments, "thanks."

With a snap of Q's fingers... Metal shards and moon rocks explode under the shrieking Vohrsoth babies. And, with a wave of Kes's hand... She alters the subatomic particles in the rubble to become crystalline pods: Freezing them within the glistening crystalline strands.

Around then, on the Grand Nagus's ship...

With a long hard look across the Bridge... Quark throws his hands up in partial defeat.

He mutters annoyedly, "sigh. Fine! I don't like it. But, it doesn't look as though I'm left with much choice."

Grand Nagus Zek and the second officer look uneasily at him, not sure what to expect.

He presses a button on one of the console panels on the side.

It depressurizes a emergency airlock...with a open Starfleet issue case inside.

A large non-sentient goldish silvery morphogenic matrix floats out.

It spreads over most of the Grand Nagus's fleet like a giant shield...burning before the might of hundreds of crashing down Borg Pods.

From his Delta Flyer... Tom Paris looks stunned.

From his runabout... Odo faintly laughs to himself: Quick to guess Quark was responsible for acquiring it...and that he never meant to turn it into a shield.

From The Doctor's Sphere and Hugh's Spheres... Most of the EMH Doctor's resistance and Hugh's resistance sigh or faintly smile with mixed relief. K'Olagh stands restlessly on The Doctor's Sphere: Still aching for battle.

Looking very amused, Grand Nagus Zek realizes, "so you had the lobes to almost get away with a financial takeover of Ferengi society, Quark. Faint laugh. It's good you won't become the Grand Nagus. But, in a way, I'm proud of you."

Quark kind of sarcastically says, "thank you, Grand Nagus."

The Grand Nagus's fleet is charging up weapons systems, getting ready to go to impulse after the Borg Cubes. They've recently dropped out of Transwarp. But, they're keeping hundreds of kilometers away from the aflame morphogenic blobs.

Two lightning subspace distortions suddenly appear out of nowhere and take away two spiraling out of control Borg Cubes, crackling with dark blue lightning. But, the other seven hold position.

Then... The Pah-Wraiths come.

They're turning the goldish silvery drips and flames for the Grand Nagus's fleet in a giant seemingly slow fiery dragon of cruel laughter and darkness.

Grand Nagus Zek wonders a little nervously, "hm. I don't suppose you have another big...?"

Before Quark can answer him... Someone hailing interrupts the thought.

Soon over the viewscreen... A almost nervous looking Tyrik apologizes, "Grand Nagus, I apologize for my abrupt hail. But, I know how to draw away the Pah-Wraiths."

He's sitting the cockpit of a Delta Flyer 2.0: Left on the Doctor's Sphere not long before Q took them to the first Borg Homeworlds, courtesy of Captain Janeway.

Endri is sitting opposite him, somewhat nervously awaiting the answer.

On the Grand Nagus's ship... Quark just stands there faintly smiling.

Lying through his teeth, he says, "yes. Good. Just like we discussed."

Tyrik looks a little confused by this. But, Endri's thoughts telepathically reminds him of the coming wave of Pah-Wraiths.

With slight amusement, Grand Nagus Zek mutters, "heh. Orrak is only one of them. What can you do?"

Tyrik determinedly pinpoints, "I can still hear his thoughts. But, I know I am as close to myself again as we can hope. So, without his knowledge, I can hear the Pah-Wraiths and who leads them."

Grand Nagus Zek concedes, "fine. We still got the Borg. We'll try it your way, Quark."

With a confused tone, Tyrik comments, "thank you. Tyrik out."

He cuts off his communications channel.

He's about to start the shuttle.

The loosely cobbled together airlock of Borg panels creaks loudly as it opens up to space.

But, soon... Tyrik pauses, turning to Endri.

Tyrik puts to question, "you sure you shall go with me? I am not expecting to come back from facing Orrak."

With a very slight smile and a uneasy sigh... Endri puts a sympathetic hand on his.

She explains, "I know you might not understand. You still blame yourself for his escape. But, I want you to come back with me through the Great Fire. I'm coming."

Tyrik reasons, "all right."

Their hands part.

As the airlock creakily closes, their Delta Flyer leaves the Doctor's Sphere. The Doctor's Sphere follows their lead.

Just then... Tyrik thinks out to the Pah-Wraith flames, "I know you are there while Dukat is away. You underestimated my strength, Orrak."

In the coming flames... Pah-Wraith Orrak glares back at him.

In Orrak's rage... The Pah-Wraiths start to change course and come after the Delta Flyer and the Doctor's Sphere, while the rest of Grand Nagus Zek's fleet goes to impulse after the Borg Cubes.

Tyrik and Endri very faintly smile to themselves, knowing his plan is going well so far.

Around this time, before the cosmos...

Dukat and Captain Sisko are grappling with each other in their whirling off whirls of mostly dark red and growing sharply dark blue flames, lightning subspace distortions blinking and whirling past them.

Dukat punches Captain Sisko down. He coughs hard before the blow.

Captain Sisko though fly charges after him soon enough...blasting Dukat with Prophet flames.

He's sent hurling into a lightning subspace distortion.

With a arc of Prophet flames from his very hands, a fiercely focused Captain Sisko is closing the shrinking distortion on a crying out Dukat.

It seems to blink out.

But, seconds later... It explodes...in a burning dark yellow and orange swirled gust of fire.

Captain Sisko cries out, "no! !"

He's knocked back in space, whirling around him like a bottomless pit decorated in stars.

Around then, before the coming Forge seed...

Four is standing against one of the obelisks: Heavily breathing, but trying not to show it against the situation before them.

Between breaths... Four inquires with nervous concern, "are you sure you know what you are doing, Cass?"

With a nervous sigh... Cass admits, "not by much. But, it's the only good plan I got here."

And, with a deep breath... She dives into the Forge seed.

Bio-electric sparks of dark blue glisten grimly against the dark red pulsing bubble of bio-electric current blobs and vaporizing Vohrsoth webbing. Shrieks and blurs of curled up Vohrsoth fighters bounce around, aching for a fight.

But, they don't even notice Cass. They think she's just part of the growing Forge.

Clutching her head... Cass calls out, "damn! And I thought the Classroom was painful. It's like scrapping chalkboard on wormholes."

Then... Four's voice breaks through, "Cass. Are you damaged?"

Cass faintly chuckles in relief, "it's good to know you broke through. I can hear myself think now."

In her side... Four's assimilation tubules have come through the Forge seed: Right where Cass dived in.

Four think figures, "another efficient plan...if the link will hold."

With faint amusement, Cass comments, "all right, Four. There's time to be critical...later."

She then pauses...glaring heatedly for a all too familiar face in the dark red blobs.

Four asks, "Cass?"

Cass mutters, "oh god. It's Reia."

A blurry shadow of Reia laughs at her.

She taunts her, "should've, could've...yet, I'm here. What fun I'll have with the fire now, and I'll have you and Lore to thank! Laugh, laugh, laugh..."

Cass starts to charge up her bio-electric coils through her entire body.

With a heated glare and charging up fists... Cass mutters, "I should have destroyed you and Lore before, evil Katra! Now you give me no choice."

A few bio-electrically charged tears fall from her face as she says it.

Very nervously... Four's voice calls out to her, "sniffle! Cass...listen to me. I understand Reia is your most personal enemy. But, I am in your thoughts as well...and I am sure what you are seeing is not real. It is a telepathic attack from the Vohrsoth intended to weaken you and take you over! Cass...can you hear me? Cass?!"


	19. Chapter 19: In Temporal Flux and Bravery

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 19:

Brief flashes of Four's face are seen: With one arm with assimilation tubules in the Forge seed, and one arm punching at the Forge seed with no success in her let loose frustration and anger.

Through the compacting coming Forge... Distorted echoes of her voice echo through, "sniffle! Cass...listen to me. I understand...Reia is your most personal enemy. But, I am in your thoughts as well...and I am sure what you are seeing is not real. It is a telepathic attack from the Vohrsoth...intended to weaken you and take you over! Cass...can you hear me? Cass?!"

Cass pauses a bit.

She then faintly smirks...much to Reia's annoyance.

Glaringly... Reia mutters twistedly, "what the hell? You're happy, *****?! You should be screaming before my mental number burning in your poor little youthful head!"

Cass though doesn't scream. She just continues to smirk: Even as she glares back at her.

Cass highlights, "because I want to be a angel: No matter what hell comes our way. And evil Katra or not...Four has just gotten me a good idea to take you out for the count."

Instead of aiming at Reia...Cass unleashes several dark blue bio-electric thorny vines to tear through the Forge seed from the inside out.

It begins to shatter.

Four faintly smirks, knowing Cass must have heard her somehow.

In seconds, her arm is suddenly loose from the dark red.

Suddenly, a bio-electrical burst of fiery red crystal ball like shards goes off. Shard after shard shatters in flashes of bright yellow and red, giving wake to dark purple and red intertwined bio-electric energy shockwaves.

Four, the rising Vohrsoth Queens, Mainstream Captain Picard, Vash, Kes, and Q are all knocked back to the ground.

Four sharply groans, clutching her gone numb and throbbing cybernetic arm.

Vash and the Mainstream Captain Picard cough and groan sharply.

They start to lose consciousness. But, in spite of it all, their hands are lightly touching.

The Vohrsoth Queens shriek at being nearly blinded by their own Forge...before Q and Kes take them out with more subspace corridors around their heads.

Q comments with some mixed relief, "that's better. Now let's get out of here while we still can."

With a faint knowing smile, Kes acknowledges, "you don't have to tell me twice."

She's already starting to open up two subspace corridors.

Q is already carrying the unconscious Mainstream Captain Picard in his arms.

As he starts his way through one of the corridors... Q adds, "good. I'm right behind you."

Kes looks somewhat amused as he goes. Meanwhile, she just uses her subatomic particle manipulation to pull the unconscious Vash through the other winding around subspace corridor like a anti-gravity generator filled vacuum tube.

Around then...

With no shields left to shield them... Warp nacelles spark off like crazy and explode off as the edge of the displacement waves hits the fleet at maximum warp.

Borg panels spark and go out. Several members of Captain Geordi La Forge's crew are slammed hard into the floor: Falling unconscious.

Captain Geordi La Forge calls out, "Hugh! !"

He rushes for the unconscious alternate Hugh's side.

Darkened Deanna Troi ducks for cover as her main console explodes into the burning ceiling.

Lights go out across the board...as the ships spiral out of control in mid-warp.

Then...

Kes appears alongside Q, in the midst of distorted mid-warp space.

Kes keeps making subspace corridors to vacuum out the leaking anti-matter by the second, propelling the ships out of warp to safety with their spiraling momentum. Q has given her the precise coordinates to get it all precise enough to work without heavy casualties. But, with some slight manipulation over the subspace corridors in slight reddish sparks, he's helping a little more so Kes can concentrate more on the anti-matter leaks and keep the ships from exploding.

A few minutes after, the fleet comes to a stop in normal space. Emergency lights come back on.

Most of Captain Bashir's crew beam in to Captain Geordi La Forge's ship, bringing in stretchers and medkits for the unconscious. Captain Troi firmly insists she's fine to some medical staff from Captain Geordi La Forge's ship, who then beam away from her ship.

Captain Geordi La Forge, Captain Bashir, Captain Troi, the conscious members of their crews... They all breathe more easily, faintly smiling in much needed relief.

Around then, in the shattering Forge seed...

The rolling down lightning subspace distortions collide into the fiery red...swirling in its own maelstrom of dark red and dark blue lightning distortions.

Shrieks thunder through the Forge seed as more and more curled up Vohrsoth fighters vaporize into the thundering and flashing lightning distortions.

As the Vohrsoth Queens shriek... The telepathic echo of Reia cries out, "no! ! !"

Her image vaporizes in her cry.

And, with how close she was already to it... Four is pulled into the maelstrom towards one of the lightning subspace distortions, tumbling against the very force of it.

She tries to grab hold of the nearest shard, only for it to shatter into her in another sharp groan.

She starts to lose consciousness before the thundering and flashing lightning.

With a hand rising out of the maelstrom... She calls out, "Cass! ! !"

Cass then turns back.

Her smirk quickly fades.

Cass calls back, "Four! ! !"

Cass dives after her.

She swims through the lightning distortions maelstrom.

Her vision is blurring fast.

Teary eyed... Cass cries out against the maelstrom, "god no: I'm not going to lose you!"

Her bio-electric form is melting away fast. Her dark blue glowing side is pulsing like crazy from all the thundering and flashing. But, she doesn't care.

She keeps swimming, reaching out to Four's unconscious body.

Then...there's a big flash of lightning.

And, as quickly as it comes... The lightning and thunder fades away.

Little shards of dark red blobs and bio-electric coils are scattered over the surface of the moon. A super condensed dark blue, faint purple, faint yellow, and dark red intertwined subspace distortion begins to ripple and fade, ripping away at the Vohrsoth webbing and crumpling down obelisks below.

There seems to be no sign of Cass or of Four. But, unlike most storms, this eye of a storm is afloat without a storm.

Within the super-condensed subspace distortion...

The Vohrsoth webbing bends back and around magic mirror like lightning subspace distortions, with the bio-electric vines wrapped around and spiraled along dirt covered sidewalks. Voices bobble back and forth in a chaotic whirlpool of dust storms and soaring by stars.

Dark blue, faint purple, faint yellow, and dark red ripples spark through the rock pools of bio-electrically charged distortions and the thundering and flashing lightning distortions like flying skipping stones.

And, reflected past these ripples…is every possible past and future playing out on its own: In the very center of the shadows and light of the maelstrom.

One possible past is of Orrak back on Deep Space Nine, firing at Endri first on a divergent thought. Tyrik and Four together free the Miniature Great Link worth of Changelings because they thought it was the logical thing to do...only for Deep Space Nine to go down in flames with only Cass's powers to get her and Orrak out in time.

A divergent future is of Cass facing off Dukat in outer space: Right alongside Captain Sisko against Lore.

From all the bright rainfall of stars, a temporal fissure opens: One greater than any of them dreamed of. So, Captain Sisko and Cass close the fissure on Lore and Dukat. But...they end up having to close the fissure on themselves as well to destroy them.

Another possible future is of Cass landing hard on a jungle in Betazed in the middle of the night of a possible past: With a confused younger Endri helping her to her house out of thinking at first she was a Betazoid bullied by Endri's own worst enemies.

Weirdly enough, they seem to end up in Starfleet Academy and on the same ship together while Cass's past self goes on to hate the Federation...leading to a older Cass hating the Borg and her more hopeful past self to the point of destroying her unsuspecting past self and taking her place to lead Team Red Hour. Endri and Cass have a personal fallout over it, and Cass destroys herself over her own mixed feelings alone.

Another possible past is of Tyrik giving into Orrak's little mind game and firing Orrak down before anyone sees it coming...which the Pah-Wraiths are drawn to instead of Orrak.

Pah-Wraith possessed Tyrik proceeds to destroy most of Team Red Hour along with Pah-Wraith Dukat before The EMH Doctor's resistance can stop them in time...until Cass ends up destroying herself to cast the Pah-Wraith off to begin with. She offers herself to the Pah-Wraiths in a promise to utterly destroy Section 31...leaving behind burnt up wreckages of the USS Pegasus, Lore's android body, and the Section 31 starship without a single conduit for the Borg to assimilate.

Presently... Cass wakes up along one of the dirt covered sidewalks.

She just dusts herself off like it's nothing, only coughing a little.

She faintly smirks to herself: Being faintly reminded of New Jersey.

Just as quickly though... She glares up ahead, over the bend in a dirt covered sidewalk.

In realization... Cass remarks coldly, "you five billion five hundred years old slime bucket. What the hell are you doing here?"

And standing there...is a faintly smirking Lady Q. She wears a colonial British styled gold tinted dark blue dress, with white stars across it and puffed sleeves.

Mental echoes go by: Of the Q Civil War across all of existence...and of Cass's parents's house destroyed by a Q Continuum conjured up lightning bolt in the midst of pouring rain: The same day a pre-teen Cass teleported away in mid-run...the same day she lost them.

Sounding more than a little impressed... Lady Q comments, "you're sure not intellectually challenged. Isn't it clear by now?"

It then hits Cass: That final piece of that final shadow in her mind.

Sounding like she just got caught with her pants down... Cass mutters, "you were in my nightmare. You had no right to step into my mind!"

Lady Q remarks dryly, "you know, you're not the only "youthful mind reader" in the universe. How foolishly mortal to think such a thing. It doesn't become you."

Getting teary eyed... Cass harshly says, "your cosmic civil war mostly came to a peaceful end by Q and his rebels for individuality's sake. We have nothing to talk about."

She starts to storm off, right past Lady Q and down the road.

But, before she turns past... Lady Q turns her way.

With a nervous sigh, Lady Q explains simply, "I stabilized the alpha-quantum disruption with the solidified Vohrsoth grime as the positive density for it to hold for twenty minuscule minutes. It was long enough to save you and Four between time fragments. You could at least let me try to get you back to where you really belong."

Cass pauses. She turns back.

In heated anger, Cass calls out, "my parents were destroyed because of your side in your damned cosmic civil war. You think you can get them back?! Yeah. I don't think so!"

She pauses again, sighing heavily to herself.

To her left, reflected in a rock pool faced diagonally up, wavy images of goldish rock tint go by: Of three Captain Siskos from different timelines before the Guardian of Forever, brawling with Changeling assimilated Borg shapeshifting drones of Cardassians and Klingons.

Sounding a little calmer... Cass reasons, "I just want to find Four and go: Before I give you something to really regret."

Cass is about ready to punch her, with very dark blue bio-electrical sparks over her fists.

Sounding reluctant... Lady Q heavily sighs, "I'm not keeping you from her."

Cass stands down. But, she just lowers her arms: Her fists still sparking.

Lady Q tells her, "go down the road to your left. It'll take you to her."

Cass firmly nods. She starts to go down a winding up dirt covered sidewalk.

As delicately as she knows how... Lady Q tries to say, "you're right. We felt it was necessary to destroy rebel members of the Continuum and go back in time to repair the cosmos to still have a universe left. It turned out it wasn't. But...it'd be worse to lose you, Cass."

A little taken aback... Cass pauses on her way up.

She comments bitterly, "it's too late to say sorry, devil smile. You already lost me."

Interestingly... Lady Q comments back, "I know you're about to lose yourself. I didn't come to "just say" sorry. I'm not surprised you don't believe me. But...I like you. You've got ingenuity and a lot of spunk. If things were better, you might've been my daughter. I know that's not true. But... I don't want you to lose yourself to mortality."

Cass mutters, "you sure as hell have a hellish way of showing it. But, I'm not losing myself. I'm just giving up the part of me that the Q would want me to believe is all that I am. Good bye, devil slime."

With that... She walks on, leaving the wavering away rock pools behind.

And, as she does... A silent tear falls from Lady Q's face.

Up the winding up dirt covered sidewalk...

Cass comes to a beginning to waver away room, propped by several sideways facing rock pools: Reflecting the recent battles going on in normal time. And lying against one of them is Four, just becoming conscious.

Worriedly, Cass calls out lowly, "Four!"

She rushes over to her, bending down before her.

Cass is tempted to hug her. But, surfacing nervousness holds her back.

She checks, "are you ok? I was getting so worried."

With a faint smile... Four mostly assures her, "I am presently not damaged, Cass. My personal assessment is my arm is starting to be... Well, back to present efficiency. It is more than I can say for my personal thoughts. But... Moderate sigh. That is not relevant now. I take it you are also undamaged?"

With some mixed feelings... Cass gets teary eyed.

Four gets up: With her phaser surprisingly not damaged and ready in her hand.

She inquires with rising concern, "did Reia harm you? Because if she has...!"

Cass gets up. But, in shaken nervousness, she finds it hard to look right at her.

She tries to be assuring, "no, Four. I'm not damaged. But... Sniffle! This is not easy for me to say."

Confused, Four questions nervously, "what is? What is wrong?"

Cass starts to explain, "I think I know what to do now: To save all of us from the Borg. To not have our lives down the gutter any longer. But...I know you're not going to like it."

A few minutes later...

Still shaky, Cass nervously says, "yeah. I knew you're not going to like it...just like in the vision. I really hoped it was just part of my nightmare. And... Sniffle! I'm sorry, Four. I really am."

Some tears fall from her face.

A teary eyed Four points the phaser at Cass, ready to stun her.

Four tries to reason, "you are my only close friend in this universe. I know you do not mean to hurt me. But…if you go through with this… You would be destroyed. Sniffle! You could very well hate me for preserving you from yourself. But, I do not want you to destroy yourself."

Cass wipes some tears away.

She uncomfortably adds, "most likely. You don't think I'm scared too?"

She sighs heavily. Four sighs heavily.

But, as the last rock pool begins to waver away... Cass suddenly faintly bittersweetly smirks.

And, she says out loud to herself, "ohh. Wait. I still got three hypospray buckets worth."

Four doesn't know yet what to make of this, still standing there ready to fire.

Cass puts up a hand. She tries to assure, "Four, please stand down. I know how I could still be there for you."

Cautiously, Four inquires, "how would you?"

With a hand lightly out to her... Cass offers, "come with me, and I'll show you."

Four puts away her phaser. She lightly takes Cass's hand.

Sounding a little better now, Four says, "okay. I will come with you."

Sounding better already, Cass adds, "good. Let's go."

They jump dive together into a parting lightning subspace distortion...as the super-condensed lightning subspace distortion itself wavers away.

A few minutes ago...

Little shards of dark red blobs and bio-electric coils were scattered over the surface of the moon. A super condensed dark blue, faint purple, faint yellow, and dark red intertwined subspace distortion had begun to ripple and fade, ripping away at the Vohrsoth webbing and crumpling down obelisks below.

The present Cass and the present Four end up back on the moon, getting back to their feet kind of easily from the weightless fall. Some debris harmlessly falls by them.

Cass injects herself with her fourth hypospray dosage...becoming her Borg drone form.

Cass requests, "before I got to go... Assimilate me: Assimilate all my personal thoughts. Then only the Q part of me will be destroyed."

Four looks stunned, even past all her Borg implants.

Four responds kind of nervously, "o...k. It is the most thoughtful personal thought I could have from you. But, while I have been a assimilative Shen in the past... Moderate sigh. I just am not sure if that is worse or better for your efficiency or for your well being."

Cass argues more casually, "well, it's still sure as hell better than coming with me to go down with me. It's hard to explain. But, I'm going after Lore to save us all from the gutter. I know I can't come back. But, I know what I'm doing this time."

Still sounding kind of uncertain... Four questions, "perhaps it is hard to explain. But, are... Are you sure this isn't going to harm your personal thoughts? I would not want to do that to you."

Cass lightly highlights, "faint chuckle. Right now, I'm still a half Q cosmic cocoon: Ready to do some damn good cosmic reprogramming on Data's demon android brother."

With a light hand on hers... Cass tries to be assuring, "you won't harm my individuality, Four. I'll still be all me. But, thank you for caring for mine."

Four faintly smirks. She lightly says, "you are welcome."

Cass faintly smiles back.

She reactively slightly groans and closes her eyes...as Four injects her assimilation tubules into the Borg implants in Cass's Borg form's head.

Through Four's head...

Flashing black rubber wheel spinning rimmed images go by in gusts of strong wind: With red neon light rings and firing Borg assimilation tubule covered Cryors strung up along them.

With the back of Four's assimilated data and the back of Cass's potential omniscience filling in most of any blanks... Images spin from Cass's near escape from the Classroom, Four's near destruction on a Borg Cube experimenting with Sikarian technology, and their kind of brief time together as their own task force...to chilling mental echoes of the Throne of Ice Caps, Assimilation Day, and Q and Vespers.

A second set of images come...of a ballroom of crystal shards and crudely bent bluish ice stalactites and classic green chalkboards for Multianics lit chandeliers.

Cass and Four dance on the floor...while a singles bar styled Andorian song and the song Birds of Prey from Batman: Brave and the Bold plays simultaneously. Cass wears a red rimmed white castle towers styled dress, and Four is wearing a full body dress with head covering of sparking off Borg implants over her blue Andorian face.

As she twirls a little... Cass smirks, "faint chuckle. You know, with our times together so few... I'm not sure if this is too soon."

Four stops. Their hands lightly part.

Four admits reluctantly, "you might be right. Still... Is it not at least a little pleasurable that you have come?"

Cass kind of playfully remarks, "I didn't say that."

With a faint smile, Four lightly pulls her hand nearer. And, she adds, "good."

Another set of images comes...of a giant spherical array of gray and brownish computers from across the universe, covered in a shockwave of digitized looking bright blue matter. Cass and Four are standing before it.

With some very mixed feelings... A teary eyed Cass realizes, "so...this is V'Ger."

Four deduces more lightly, "well... Perhaps it is too late for V'Ger to provide a explanation on the Borg. But, I thought you might very well appreciate seeing V'Ger for yourself."

Slightly turning to her, Cass solemnly says, "I do. Thank you, Four." Four adds solemnly, "you are welcome."

A fourth set of images comes...of Cass sitting on a puffy white cloud on a starry night, writing on a fairy tale styled brownish scroll with a dark blue stemmed light red feather pen.

Her letter goes like this:

Dear Four,

I hope you take care of your individuality, and I sure as hell hope you take care of mine. I know I'm not a very logical voice to have in your head. But, I trust you to keep my individuality well guarded.

Honestly... I can't think of anyone better to trust with it than you.

I hope you love this gift I'm giving you. But, like Ehras said...you're stronger than you think. Just let yourself see that, and you'll be ok.

Love, Cass.

P.S. I know what you're thinking: You're not going to want to listen to this part. But, for my sake... Please try to stay out of trouble with Endri. Heavy sigh. I never meant for you two to fight over me, and you owe it to yourself to try to make up with Endri already.

Out in the physical...

Cass and Four both stand there: Stunned, and finding it hard to say much more with all the information that just flooded through them.

Teary eyed... A faintly smiling Cass soon turns to her human form again.

She's getting ready to jump back into the super-condensed lightning distortion before it closes again. But, she turns back.

They hug each other tight for the last time.

Cass waves goodbye, still not sure what else to say.

Four says bittersweetly, "I do not understand everything right now. But, I still admire your personal strength. Go take Lore down for me."

Cass solemnly nods. She then adds kind of sarcastically, "just try to stop me."

Four faintly chuckles.

And with that... Cass jumps into a possible future reflected in the super-condensed lightning distortion...into a possible future on the USS Pegasus.


	20. Chapter 20: Final Seeker Drones

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 20:

Around then, further out from the moon...

Across his fleet... The Grand Nagus orders, "move to impulse! Get them down."

The Grand Nagus's fleet goes to impulse.

The Parada ships fire a spread of sharp green cutting beam and dark red phaser looking proton particles instead of more basic protons, weakening the Borg Cubes's shields.

The Dosi battleships and Ferengi cruisers are preparing to fire.

One of the Parada captains reports, "Borg shields are still up. Sixty percent!" Another Parada onboard his ship comments, "that is good...enough."

As the Borg and the Grand Nagus's fleet start to come within firing range... Seven lightning subspace distortions suddenly appear between them.

Parada, Dosi, Ferengi, Borg... They all steer high up.

Some Dosi battleships and Parada ships unintentionally crash into each other...exploding in flames before the crackling dark blue lightning.

A Borg Cube is taken away in the lightning subspace distortions. Three are torn in half...conducting a storm of dark blue lightning as they seem to slowly spiral to their fiery destruction.

Across their ships's Bridges... Some Dosi and Parada call out, "we're losing shields! More power to the backup system! Why didn't we detect these distortions?!"

On one of the ships...a second in command Dosi is quick to point out, "that's a waste of time to think about! We'll deal with the sensors representative later on our terms."

With cold anger, the first in command Dosi on board says, "very well."

The three remaining Borg Cubes and the Grand Nagus's fleet spiral whirls around the crackling and flashing dark blue lightning.

They're firing blade weapons, proton particles, and phasers at the Borg. The Borg fire with many a Borg cutting beam and several Borg missiles.

The Grand Nagus's fleet is whirling faster between the dark blue lightning flash and half burnt through spread of the non-sentient morphogenic matrix.

But, two of the Borg Cubes lock on with Borg tractor beams...tractoring in fifteen Dosi battleships and a handful of Parada and Ferengi ships.

One of the Borg Cubes lets the crackling dark blue lightning destroy its tractored in ships in a fiery blaze...just before beaming all the gone pale faces of the crews in to be assimilated.

It goes to Transwarp, still crackling with some scattered dark blue lightning.

As soon as there's a opening through it all... A Borg Sphere transports out of one of the Borg Cubes in mid-Transwarp, on course for the EMH Doctor's newer mostly concrete Sphere.

Not so long ago, on the Doctor's Sphere...

Hugh, most of his resistance onboard with arm disrupters at the ready, Hannah Bates, and most of the EMH Doctor's resistance with phasers at the ready are standing in the center of the mostly concrete crafted Sphere...looking to the EMH Doctor.

As one resistance... The EMH Doctor tells them, "it's going to be fine. Just keep calm and think of the good memories you've held on to for many months. We've all been through worse. We'll overload the shields if we have to."

The former Borg Bynar and Hannah Bates have fairly recently reconfigured the Doctor's Sphere's shields to channel out one of his neuro-electrical surges. It'll knock out every Pah-Wraith within 150 kilometers. But, it'll short out the Sphere's shields along with the force fields.

Turning the neuro-electrical surges on the Pah-Wraiths though is part of Tyrik's plan.

Most everyone very faintly smile and firmly nod as they take their positions: All except K'Olagh.

Noticing this... The EMH Doctor starts to question, "K'Olagh. What is...?"

With a faint snarled chuckle, K'Olagh mutters, "that's easy for you to think: Fighting qul jat'yIn like simply bringing in more Bloodwine. You're a Klingon Defense Force in a bottle of Bloodwine."

Sounding kind of flattered... The EMH Doctor remarks, "I was never just a bottle. Well, after the first few years onboard Voyager as the emergency medical hologram...I'm sure I wasn't just a hologram in a bottle. Since then, I have expanded beyond my original...programming."

Thanks to some Borg ingenuity... A wave of Borg Romulan, Borg human, and Borg Vulcans with Soong android model Borg prosthetic arms suddenly beams right through the shields.

Sounding kind of annoyed... K'Olagh comments, "I don't know about you and your ideas. But, I'm sure no Hur'q."

He gets out his Bat'leth, grinning with a faint snarl.

The EMH Doctor figures, "clearly. Go: Qapla'!"

Prideful sounding, K'Olagh goes, "Qapla'. For honor!"

He charges for some not so distant coming Borg drones, slashing down triumphantly for them.

Hugh's resistance exchanges punches with the Borg drones. The Doctor's resistance fires phasers, stunning several Borg drones.

Some of them though duck behind a mostly concrete Borg corridor, going down the corridor as disrupter and phaser fire burns some smoking holes in the concrete.

The EMH Doctor faintly uneasily smiles before heading to one of the few rooms onboard the Sphere: With very dark grey freighter styled Borg access panels faintly seen in the distance.

Some of Hugh's resistance duck behind another mostly concrete Borg corridor corner, firing arm disrupters into six Borg drones. They go down with some loud thuds.

But... The Borg drones circling back around tear through the walls...grabbing them and hurling them hard into the cracked floor. They double over on the floor, stunned and dizzy.

Not far off down a third Borg corridor... Hugh blocks a incoming punch from a Borg drone, catching it with his hand.

The Borg drone punches him down with its prosthetic arm...making Hugh double over against a then cracked concrete wall. He's coughing hard over his side, struggling to hold onto consciousness.

Not far off, further down the Doctor's Sphere...

The EMH Doctor gets to Hannah Bates. She's standing at a access panel down a corridor, with her Borg assimilation tubules injected into it.

With a faint smile, Hannah Bates reports, "two hundred...three hundred... We're four hundred kilometers off and holding position."

A Borg Viewscreen off to the side shows the coming wave of the Pah-Wraiths kilometers away, while brief shots of Tyrik's Delta Flyer go by at impulse.

The EMH Doctor concludes, "good. Set a course back for the Pah-Wraiths and prepare to go on my mark. I'll be down in the Engineering section."

Hannah Bates just says, "I understand."

The EMH Doctor starts his way down to the Engineering section of the Sphere.

From a whole other direction... Borg Minuet catches sight of the EMH Doctor from a corner.

She beamed in from one of the Borg pods just before it exploded. She was also able to figure out the Doctor's Sphere's shield modulation, soon transmitting it over to the Borg Collective.

She starts to slowly go after the EMH Doctor: Keeping her distance.

But, interestingly... For some brief seconds...Minuet hesitates.

She remembers Captain Picard and Commander Riker activating a self destruct on the USS Enterprise many years ago: As a precaution when the Bynars took over the ship, and Minuet was part of the Bynars's plan to save their master computer from start to finish.

The Borg Collective's voices prevail like a fiery dance, making rings of fire to keep Minuet's persona from stepping up.

Borg Minuet keeps going. But, even so, the faint feeling of her persona tearfully calling out to the rings of fire remains. And, that shakes her.

Around then, up in the cosmos...

As soon as he sees Dukat emerging from around a passing star... Captain Sisko quickly comes to: Shaking the dizziness off.

He's fly charging for him again.

But, as soon as he does... Several faintly familiar planetoids of fire are circling...circling around Dukat.

Dukat laughs. He taunts, "you can't even burn my spirit down."

Right back at him, Captain Sisko mutters harshly, "whatever good intentions you had before, Dukat... You're no spirit: Not anymore!"

And, like the fury of God's wraith... Dukat angrily fires the planetoids of fire for Captain Sisko.

Captain Sisko flies between them, getting closer and closer to Dukat.

Then...the planetoids of fire flare up: Forming a closing in sphere of Pah-Wraith flames.

Captain Sisko coughs hard, bent over himself. His Prophet flames begin to fade and sputter before Dukat's Pah-Wraith flames.

Dukat grins darkly at his condition going critical.

Seconds later... A faintly smiling Captain Sisko concentrates the Prophet flames into a dark blue baseball glove.

He grabs some of the Pah-Wraith flames...turning them into a stronger flaming ball of non-corporeal flames.

And, much to Dukat's shock... Captain Sisko throws the ball.

It breaks through the circle of Pah-Wraith flames. He flies through the cosmic opening...as it explodes in a flash of dark dusty yellow.

Dukat tries to destroy the ball first. But, it just explodes into him.

Now Dukat is coughing hard...as Captain Sisko is gathering up the planetoids with his dark blue Prophet flaming outstretched hands by his sides.

Adding insult to injury, Captain Sisko says all too easily, "you're out of this universe, Dukat."

He cups his hands together...making the planetoids flare up as one exploding gas giant before Dukat can tackle Captain Sisko.

Dukat cries out, "no! ! I was to bring back Carda...! ! !"

His image seems to burn off in a vapor of dissipating Pah-Wraith flames...dissipating into the yellowish blurs of cosmic dust.

Captain Sisko faintly bittersweetly smiles to himself.

In flashes of bright white... The Prophets say, "you have done well."

Captain Sisko reflects grimly, "maybe for this universe. Maybe for this Celestial Temple. But, I wish we could have saved more worlds."

With that said... He vanishes from space in a flash of bright white light.

But, within the bright white light of the Celestial Temple... There's familiar faintly smiling faces, smiling towards him.

Jadzia Dax of this universe, Kira, O'Brien, Worf, Mortak... Even Cal Hudson, Jennifer, Kasidy Yates, and Garak are there.

And, with a bittersweet smile back... Captain Sisko knows he's home.

Around then, back around the other side of the galaxy...

On the leading Klingon Bird-of-Prey... R'Kad goes, "laugh! Now this is a battle. No more planet of a shell. How do you like us now, tohzahs? How do you like us now?!"

The Klingon Birds-of-Prey start to break off...coming around again and firing disrupters into the already damaged sections.

And, two more Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Spheres are coming at Transwarp.

In the first Borg Tactical Sphere... Smoke is everywhere. Ketracel-white filled black Borg tubes are flailing about, spraying the stuff over heavily damaged blocked off Borg corridors.

Borg Jem'Hadar stand ready, even while falling back from the severely damaged self ejecting Borg sections for adjacent very dimly lit refortified Borg corridors to make their stand. They have horns along their arms fitted with kar'takin blades, faint purplish Borg Jem'Hadar bio-organic shrouding capable personal force fields, and a second port in the back of their necks for ketracel-white.

The Borg Jem'Hadar Tactical Spheres also have smaller Borg alcoves just made of Borg alcove Luminglas plasma discs, making room for the self ejecting Borg sections system and backup conduits.

In the dark of one Borg corridor... Ehras and the Klingons on her team are run charging for some Borg alcoves, freezing and slashing twenty five in a row.

Sparks fly. Thirteen Borg Jem'Hadar are caught in the chaos and soon go down.

The Borg corridor they're in starts to automatically eject, with the Borg Collective taking it to mean it's too heavily damaged and slamming down nanoprobe laced bulkheads to cut it off. But, Ehras faintly smiles at this.

At near a whisper, she says to herself, "and I believed this would not be easy."

While the grinning Klingons slash away at more incoming Borg Jem'Hadar, Ehras injects her assimilation tubules into one of the few working Borg alcoves in the Borg corridor: Telling the Borg Collective to lock onto and beam a Andorian Borg Queen to one of the incoming Borg Tactical Spheres.

Ehras soon beams out...over to that very same Borg Tactical Sphere.

Seconds later... She's quick to fire freeze rays at every Borg Jem'Hadar at the center of the Sphere. They all freeze doubly so.

Soon, she takes out a phaser: Burning off half of the section and most of the Borg alcoves. She injects her assimilation tubules into one of the Borg alcoves: Ready to start the whole thing over again...when the alcove turns off.

The faint smile on Ehras's face quickly fades...as fifty seven Borg Jem'Hadar start to mass around the heavily damaged section.

Back on the first Borg Jem'Hadar Tactical Sphere, in the dark of a adjacent Borg corridor...

Jadzia Dax and Doctor Bashir go into a running charge, firing phasers on higher remodulating settings they continuously manually change up in a matter of several seconds.

Some Borg Jem'Hadar just keep going after them in a charge, completely unaffected thanks to their Borg Jem'Hadar personal force fields. Only Doctor Bashir and others like himself can make out the faint distortions of light coming off of them.

Some go down, coughing hard on the floor as their personal force fields fluctuate.

With a firm smile, Jadzia Dax asks, "so where is your friend Jack in all of this mess?"

With his tricorder out in his other hand... Doctor Bashir reports, "just two more corridors. He can't be far."

Jadzia Dax faintly chuckles. She adds, "sure: If we live that long."

Doctor Bashir very faintly smiles, knowing she's being somewhat sarcastic.

Suddenly, they both find themselves slashed at by some Borg Jem'Hadar Borg.

Jadzia Dax is quick to slam her phaser in mid-fire into one of them...letting it explode into the then dazed Borg Jem'Hadar before getting out her cleaned off Bat'leth. She slashes at the Borg drone with it and it soon after goes down.

Doctor Bashir ducks from a slash from the Borg Jem'Hadar...before firing his phaser into a Borg Jem'Hadar Borg alcove.

Sparks fly. Several Jem'Hadar double over a little stunned.

But, even with that... One of them slashes at Doctor Bashir.

He soon after goes down...clutching his side in the very dim light and coughing hard as he starts to fall unconscious.

Teary eyed, Jadzia Dax cries out, "Julian! ! !"

Not so long ago, on the USS Pegasus...

The USS Pegasus's Engineering section and Bridge are shaking hard.

Sparks go flying. Wires flail. Piping smashes on broken in fence styled support beams.

Admiral Pressman stumbles on the way to his captain's chair. But, he catches himself over it: Pulling himself up.

Admiral Pressman calls out, "report!"

A Section 31 agent at Tactical reports, "our Romulan cloak has failed, sir! We're being bombarded by subspace particles. We can't hold shields much longer."

Down a mostly pale gray corridor by Engineering... Cass suddenly appears, with a dark blue glow around her.

On the Bridge... The Section 31 agent at Tactical reports, "shields are down!"

Admiral Pressman reasons coldly, "well, I can't do much here. I'll go to the Engineering section myself. Maybe then Lore won't have to go back to the recent past and get us out."

From a console, he manually sets the transporter to beam him there. He beams in.

Around then, not far out in space...

With the two Andorians still piloting Captain Picard's Captain's Yacht... The Captain's Yacht comes about, firing on the Borg Queen vessel before Borg cutting beams can lock on.

In seconds... Another incoming Particle Subspace Bubbles like missile explodes in a burst of red and blue swirled warped burning subspace particles...heavily damaging the front of the Borg Queen vessel along with their shields.

Sounding very surprised and relieved...one of the Andorians calls out in Andorii, "oh yes! We're in."

The two smiling Andorians beam themselves into the Borg Queen vessel...just as the Captain's Yacht is burnt to red and blue swirled shards.

The cosmic burning fades just as quickly. But, the Borg Queen vessel stays mostly operational: Ready to fire again.

Around then, on the Borg Queen vessel...

Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay are already inside, back in uniform and fast walking down a Borg corridor.

They're carrying replicated wood bows and metal arrows, made out of matter from taken apart furniture from their guest quarters from the USS Voyager.

They fire a round of metal arrows into many a caught off guard Borg drone.

Most of them go down. Some of them clutch their sides as they snap off the metal arrows and keep moving.

Past Chakotay and Past Kathryn turn into another Borg corridor.

Past Chakotay faintly smiles. He remarks, "just like old times, Captain."

With some mixed feelings and a faint lingering headache... Past Kathryn concludes, "not exactly. I'll be damned if we run into anymore crew members turning on us or my counterpart on the other Voyager."

With some mixed feelings... Past Chakotay comments, "call me crazy. But, with their origins and the situation we're facing...suddenly the Borg doesn't look as bad to me. I'm just sorry we have to destroy more of them until this conflict is over with."

With a faint amused smile... Past Kathryn pauses to catch her breath a little.

She insists assuringly, "moderate sigh. You're many things, soldier. But, you're not crazy. To be honest, I feel the same way myself."

Past Chakotay solemnly adds, "then I'll take that as a...compliment."

They're coming up to the center of the Borg Queen vessel...when some high efficiency mostly Cardassian and mostly Hirogen Borg tackle them hard against the Borg vessel's walls.

The bows clink hard against the floor.

Past Kathryn and Past Chakotay groan hard.

They struggle against the Borg drones. But, with firm grips on their shoulders, they take them to the two Borg Queens.

With a very faint smile...the second Borg Queen concludes outright, "that will be efficient. Your assimilations will ensure assimilation of Captain Janeway and most of the Maquis in this timeline."

Teary eyed, Past Kathryn mutters, "damn."

Around then, on the USS Pegasus...

With shields down... Captain Janeway and Seven beam right into the Engineering section, ready with phasers.

Admiral Pressman puts down some engineering equipment on the floor by a open console. He gets to his feet.

Interestingly, Admiral Pressman faintly laughs.

Captain Janeway points out, "I fail to understand what's funny about this. Stop whatever it is you're doing, or we will fire."

Admiral Pressman figures, "you're not going to shoot me. That's Rene Picard in that bio-stasis chamber. You sure you want to be the ones to tell Captain Picard why he requires medical attention?"

Taking none of this... Seven is quicker.

She grabs him by the throat with one hand, making him drop his phaser.

Seven comments darkly, "you sure you want to require medical attention?"

Suddenly... There's a shot.

Captain Janeway barely ducks behind a blown off console.

When she looks over to get a better look...she gasps.

Uncloaked and just to be theatrical... Lore has come in by tearing a hole through a nearby bulkhead, carrying a phaser in his other hand.

A cloud of rubble and dust fades behind him.

Slightly annoyed sounding, Lore comments, "you were saying, Admiral Often-Too-Pressed-Out Pressman?"

Looking fairly stunned... Seven drops Admiral Pressman.

But, she's just as quick to draw out her phaser: Coldly glaring at Lore.

Admiral Pressman stumbles back a little as he tries to go for his phaser, glaring back at Lore.

And, with a very dark smile... Lore is quick to cloak himself...going back into a constantly fluctuating mirrory state of being.

Back down a certain corridor... The glow around Cass quickly fades.

She starts fast walking down the corridor...when Captain Picard and Data beam in.

Very uneasily, Captain Picard says, "Cass. Heavy sigh. This is really not a good time. Me and the other me warned you about..."

Before Cass or Data can add something... Gemma Elinor and Reia beam into the corridor: Not far from the automatic door leading into the Engineering section.

To the left, down another circling around corridor... The prototype Borg drone from earlier from the Borg Queen vessel beams in.

Cass, Captain Picard, and Data reactively draw out their phasers.

Faintly teary...Cass insists confidently, "I know you think so, Captain. But, I got this."

Meanwhile, across several galaxies...

More and more Borg Environmental Probes fleet are catching lightning blue subspace distortions. In their Borg alcove bordered chambers... They're dissipating the lightning subspace distortions they can't stabilize and stabilizing the ones they can into portals.

They seem to be slowly but surely patching up the very mutliverse together.

In Rene's mind...

Rene is determinedly pressing keys on the terminal: Locking onto more and more dark green and gray swirled Borg Environmental Probe Transwarp signatures for the USS Pegasus's main systems to lock onto.

The objective?

Unbeknownst to Rene... It's not to just disable them.

It's to lock onto all of their key Borg systems...to assimilate the Borg Environmental Probes with a Section 31 virus in one fell swoop and destroy the Borg within.

With a surprise assimilation of their vessels on such a massive scale...Section 31 could grow in power across the multiverse: Unopposed by Borg, Maquis, or Starfleet.

And, out in the physical... On the Bridge of the USS Pegasus... The countdown on the Tactical screen is set for eight minutes and counting.


	21. Chapter 21: iModulate, iDefend, iProtect

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 21:

Around then...

Very uneasily, Captain Picard says, "Cass. Heavy sigh. This is really not a good time. Me and the other me warned you about..."

Gemma Elinor and Reia beam into the corridor: Not far from the automatic door leading into the Engineering section.

To the left, down another circling around corridor... The prototype Borg drone from earlier beams in. She stays behind a corner, ready to do battle.

Cass, Captain Picard, and Data reactively draw out their phasers.

Faintly teary...Cass insists confidently, "I know you think so, Captain. But, I got this."

Half on instinct and half on diplomacy... Captain Picard supposes, "Gemma Elinor... There's someone far worse than Section 31 on your vessel. Data and I have come to stop him. Tell us where Lore is, and we might go easy on your part in Section 31."

Gemma Elinor and Reia just laugh hard.

With a faint smile... Gemma Elinor says chillingly calm, "ok. Good try. But, I on some level like Lore: Even with his ego. And, you're still going to hell."

Reia comments, "you don't really care about Section 31 fire: You just want to free your precious Rene unopposed. Faint sigh! That diplomatic mind of yours makes me sick."

Captain Picard heavily sighs, "very well. I see talking isn't getting us anywhere." Cass comments kind of sarcastically, "well thank you, Mister Sarek."

With a very faint smile, Captain Picard comments, "actually, I find that quite a compliment."

Cass faintly rolls her eyes kind of annoyedly.

Looking much more amused now... Reia turns to her, "Cass. Laugh! Now I can destroy you by your very fire."

Cass heatedly glares back at Reia, phaser ready. She starts walking around her, phaser still ready as she gets closer to the automatic door.

Captain Picard fast walks for the then opening automatic door.

Gemma Elinor aims for him. But, Data is already standing in her way: Aiming at her.

Reia goes on, "oh, this is just too much! And, I didn't even get you...anything."

Cass starts to faintly smirk, "what's wrong, Reia? Too much holy Katra for you?"

Very uneasily...Reia realizes she can't telepathically hurt her. And, Cass just brushes off her telepathic attack.

Glaring piercingly... Gemma Elinor mutters, "Data. A strong word for just a tool of human level "happiness"."

Data reasons firmly, "I am not a instrument. However, your stuck up nature to follow artificial intelligence blinds you."

Gemma Elinor comments back, "says the one without a emotion chip."

The prototype Borg drone charges for Captain Picard.

Captain Picard fires his phaser.

But, with his faint lingering connection to the Borg... And, after months straight of fighting... The Borg have already adapted to his phaser.

The prototype Borg drone's personal force field goes up.

And...she hurls him hard into the bulkhead with a mostly human like arm.

His phaser goes flying. He's groaning hard on the floor, clutching his head in dizziness.

With her phaser back out... Captain Janeway interjects, "true. Hard cough! But, it doesn't mean he's wrong...agent Elinor."

She's barely on her feet...clutching her side and breathing hard on her second wind. She faked unconsciousness just long enough to avoid being left unconscious for real by Lore.

Behind her is a unconscious Seven and a unconscious Admiral Pressman. Some phasered off pieces of Main Engineering are still smoking.

Around then, back further out from the moon...

Two of the Borg Cubes lock on with Borg tractor beams...tractoring in fifteen Dosi battleships and a handful of Parada and Ferengi ships.

One of the Borg Cubes lets the crackling dark blue lightning destroy its tractored in ships in a fiery blaze...just before beaming all the gone pale faces of the crews in to be assimilated.

It goes to Transwarp, still crackling with some scattered dark blue lightning.

As soon as there's a opening through it all... A Borg Sphere transports out of one of the Borg Cubes in mid-Transwarp, on course for the EMH Doctor's newer mostly concrete Sphere.

But, unbeknownst to the Borg in that Borg Cube... A certain small cloaked ship dives in through the mid-transport to fire its way inside while the Borg Sphere transports through. The Borg mistake it as just a near miss from the crackling dark blue lightning.

Not long after... The Borg Cube is shot out by proton particles from the inside out.

The Borg Cube explodes...as Kellin's ship comes out at warp.

She faintly smiles in some relief.

Tom Paris in his Delta Flyer and Odo in his runabout come around to fire at the other Borg Cube...setting fire to several Borg corridors before they get shields back up.

Then though... Another Borg Sphere comes out of the remaining Borg Cube to lock on with cutting beams...through Kellin's ship's polarization cloak and the Delta Flyer and the runabout's shields.

The shields buckle. The ships shake.

Kellin's smile fades as she tries to break free, firing proton particles.

Borg shields dissipate it.

The ship's weapon systems overload: Exploding in smoke and sparks of fire.

Kellin is sent flying hard against the floor...falling unconscious with a hard groan.

Tom Paris's smile fades as he tries to break free, beaming venting drive plasma right into a cutting beam. Another though just as quickly locks on.

Odo stays mostly stoic. But...his Changeling genetic composition is starting to quickly melt before the rising heat as he starts to fall unconscious.

The Borg start to lock onto their life signs as the smoke and fire rises around them.

And, together... Even while trying to evade more incoming dark blue lightning subspace distortions at Transwarp... The Borg Sphere and the Borg Cube are locking onto the rest of the Grand Nagus's fleet...taking them for the ride.

A functioning half of one of Hugh's Spheres from earlier is coming back around at Transwarp...only to be torn into flaming pieces by two incoming lightning subspace distortions.

Around then, on the Doctor's Sphere...

The EMH Doctor is standing at a Engineering resembling Borg panel.

Over communications via the Borg panel... Hannah Bates checks, "we're one hundred fifty kilometers off and on course. Are you ready, Doctor?"

A Borg Viewscreen off to the side shows the coming wave of the Pah-Wraiths and the coming about Borg Sphere...getting closer and closer.

The Borg Sphere goes to slingshot itself around the Doctor's Sphere with cutting beams...as its shields are already starting to burn before the Pah-Wraith flames.

With some mixed feelings... The EMH Doctor reports, "personally? No. But, I'm ready."

Hannah Bates concludes, "all right. We can all go grieve later. Uneasy sigh. Just one situation at a time, Doctor."

The EMH Doctor solemnly adds, "acknowledged."

And, as the EMH Doctor's Sphere's shields begins to burn before the Pah-Wraith flames... He interfaces himself with the Borg panel...sending out a massive neuro-electric surge.

The shields warp around in a wave of bright gray and sharp blue neuro-electrical sparks, like a cosmic black glass bubble fracturing and striking back at the cosmic hands of fate that created it.

The Borg Sphere freezes. Its mostly green lights go dim...as every Borg drone onboard is rendered unconscious against their sparking half frozen half fluctuating Borg alcoves.

The wave of Pah-Wraiths scream...as they double over in their fading fire before the neuro-electric sparks and a wave of incoming lightning subspace distortions.

Not long before, with Tyrik's Delta Flyer...

Pah-Wraith flames laugh and crackle around the cockpit. But, Tyrik and Endri determinedly stay the course: Keeping their eyes on the controls.

Then though... Orrak's face appears in their minds. And, they can't just look away from the depths of his flames: Surrounded by floating orbs of carved out faces of Cardassian Guls old and new and Pah-Wraith laughter.

With a dark teary glare... Orrak thinks out loud, "you may have been clever, Tyrik. But, in a new Cardassia, there is no soft Starfleet compassion: Only the state and the state of mind for cold hard order. The Obsidian Order. You could have been a great Cardassian. It could have been in my power to give. But, you are not for the state. And so, I will destroy you and Endri along with every Starfleet softie in the universe."

Tyrik and Endri both look teary eyed, with a sympathetic hand on each other's.

After a bit... Tyrik thinks back, "I have experienced worse by your hands. Try it!"

Orrak grabs him and Endri by the throats...his Pah-Wraith flames running down his arms for them.

With mixed amusement, Orrak comments, "stubborn to the end. All right. Goodbye, Tyrik and End...ri."

Soon after though... The screams of the Pah-Wraiths pierce through: Shattering the floating orbs into glass shards.

Orrak doubles back, groaning hard and clutching his side before the shards.

He reactively lets go. Tyrik and Endri just as quickly get up.

Orrak demands, "what... Hard cough! ...what is this?!"

Endri smirks and slightly chuckles, knowing what that means.

Tyrik mutters coldly, "I know better than to give in now. Damn you and your state of mind, Orrak."

In sudden realization at his plan... Orrak cries out, "no! !"

His mental image vaporizes. All the Pah-Wraiths vaporize in their cries and fading out flames.

Out in the physical... Tyrik and Endri come to.

The Pah-Wraith flames are vaporizing around them.

Tyrik's Delta Flyer pulls high up and back around...seconds before it dives unpiloted into a lightning subspace distortion.

Around then, back on the Doctor's Sphere...

With a faint smile... Hannah Bates reports in relief, "the Pah-Wraiths and the Borg Sphere are gone. We did it."

The EMH Doctor concludes, "well done, Miss Bates. Now, let's..."

Suddenly... Borg Minuet comes whirling around...punching his mobile emitter hard from the side.

The EMH Doctor fluctuates, doubling over.

Over communications... Hannah Bates calls out in concern, "are you there, Doctor? Doctor!"

Looking nervous and yet cold at the same time... Borg Minuet voices in a cold chime, "sorry we won't get to dance, EMH. You're a good slow dancer, with a remarkable tone when it comes to danger. But, your hindrance to the Borg is at a end."

With it all...the EMH Doctor looks fairly unsure what to make of her.

Borg Minuet tries to put her assimilation tubules through the holographic projecting part of The EMH Doctor's mobile emitter. But, the EMH Doctor side steps.

He's reactively grabbing her human arm...shielding himself from her assimilation tubules.

To the EMH Doctor's somewhat nervous relief... Borg Minuet withdraws her assimilation tubules.

In seconds though... Borg Minuet unnaturally whirl bends her android arm over her other arm to suddenly launch longer assimilation tubules from both hands...binding the EMH Doctor's holographic arms together as though they were physically human.

Hannah Bates fast walks her way down, holding a salvaged Romulan disrupter.

With a very faint uneasy smile... The EMH Doctor hits on something, "Minuet. You were once programmed by Bynars, and yet you've surpassed binary thinking when you met Commander William Riker."

That makes Borg Minuet hesitate...just as she's about to slam him by the mobile emitter to permanently deactivate him.

Sounding more human...she asks, "you know Riker?"

Solemnly... The EMH Doctor reflects, "B'Elanna met him once while fighting the Borg, and B'Elanna told me. Moderate sigh. Regrettably, that was the last time the Maquis saw him. Before that, she told me his greatest regrets were losing Starfleet, Deanna...and you. But, you're active. You can surpass a computer: You can surpass the Borg. Please, Minuet...try: For Will."

Borg Minuet is getting teary eyed. The binding is loosening fast.

Across the Borg Collective... Almost all the voices say at once, "disconnect secondary Borg Queen. Initiate electrical discharge from secondary Borg Queen and self destruct."

But, at the same time... Minuet's persona starts to burn above The Borg Collective's rings of fire...climbing high in the blackened sky of her mind.

The Borg Collective's voices crackle like a dying fire...as the sun rises and brings the clear blue back into the sky.

Minuet lightly dances around more and more binary code...reaching two faintly familiar and faintly slowly becoming vibrant voices.

The other voices of the Borg Collective scream and retreat...back into the fading binary clouds. And, Minuet smiles bittersweetly to herself.

Across a assimilated and nervous looking Lieutenant Barclay's specially made Bynar resembling cranial implants under his Borg implants... Across a fairly recently assimilated and heatedly glaring Jack's Borg implants... They see the sky in Minuet's mind.

With but their thoughts and cranial implants... They command the Borg fleet in the Delta Quadrant, the Borg Queen Vessel Borg Barclay has been onboard on all this while, and the Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Sphere Jack's on including the Jem'Hadar Borg onboard to stand down and await new orders.

Some of Hugh's resistance and some of the EMH Doctor's resistance help Hugh and others to their feet, after punching away the frozen still Borg drones about to finish them.

But, just as quickly... Across the Borg Collective... Almost all the voices say, "initiate primary override subcommand. Initiate silent self destruct of the inefficient vessels."

And, across both Quadrants... The Grand Nagus Zek's fleet, The EMH Doctor's resistance, Nog's crew on the USS Defiant, Endri and Tyrik... They don't know what's coming.

Around then, back on the Borg Queen vessel...

Some of the Borg drones suddenly beam over to Borg Pods.

Having recently beamed over... The two Andorians are caught by surprise by the beam outs and beamed to some themselves: No doubt for a swift assimilation.

With few remaining Borg drones restraining them... Past Chakotay and Past Kathryn punch their way free...stunning them against the floor before they too are beamed away.

Worriedly, Past Kathryn calls out, "come on, Chakotay! We only got one more shot."

They go for their bows and arrows without a second thought...when they're about to be beamed into empty Borg Pods for imminent assimilation.

Around then, back on the USS Pegasus...

Turning away from Gemma Elinor and Captain Janeway... Data now notices the prototype Borg drone.

Data tackles the prototype Borg drone to the wall. But, she backhand punches him back.

Even with a hard battered and half cutting out android head though...Data doesn't let go. And, their momentum brings them to the ground as they try to tackle each other.

Captain Picard is slowly but surely getting back to his feet...leaning against the edge of the doorframe for support as he walks on into the Main Engineering section.

Sounding impressed... Gemma Elinor inquires, "you knew?"

She's getting out her phaser.

With a faint sharp glare... Captain Janeway explains, "not exactly: Seven started to suspect you were a agent of Section 31 with how quickly it took for us to find the Doctor. Besides, the all black uniform and your confession will do just as nicely."

With a piercing glare... Gemma Elinor remarks, "then it's time your time back from the Delta Quadrant is cut short."

With some mixed feelings... Captain Janeway remarks back, "oh, we never left. I'm sort of grateful you likely kept the Doctor's mobile emitter away from the Time Police. But, only one of us can come home. And, I know who you really work for. So, I don't think it'll be you."

Captain Janeway and Gemma Elinor fire phasers at each other. But, they tumble duck out of the way of the other's phaser fire.

Crouched on the ground... Gemma Elinor quickly reaches for some nano-spatial charges with her other hand...throwing them at her.

Captain Janeway gets up...just as the charges go off.

She's knocked back hard...against the smoke and the edge of a blown off automatic door.

As Reia is getting out a Bat'leth... She mutters super furiously, "you *****...!"

Almost pitifully... Cass comments, "oh, my god: Give it a rest, evil Katra."

Reia is charging with her Bat'leth at her.

But, just as quickly... Cass fires her phaser at Reia.

She goes down hard, Bat'leth still in her hands.

Cass makes a run for it through the blown off automatic door...heading right for a Jefferies tube in the back of what's left of Main Engineering. It just closed shut.

Data and the prototype Borg drone are trying to tackle each other, catching each other's fists.

The prototype Borg drone side kicks him off, side flipping over him to break free.

They both tumble to the ground.

But, on the ground for some brief seconds... As Data starts to get to his feet... The prototype Borg drone hesitates.

She faintly remembers blurs of being on the USS Enterprise: Of ghostly cocoon like gaps in the space-time continuum between a unusual preponderance of dark matter on a mostly black and white grid, of her usual mostly tied back and braided down blond hair while on duty...and a certain android by the name of Data sitting in his quarters before Lieutenant D'Sora's faintly teary eyes.

As she gets up... It just as quickly goes away. But, her eyes are faintly teary.

Data pauses with uncertainty. So does she.

And, across the Borg Collective... Almost all the voices say at once, "disconnect the prototype drone. Initiate electrical discharge from prototype drone and self destruct."

Around then...

Lore is standing in a Jefferies tube junction, rapidly pressing some buttons on the mostly gray console.

He gets a transporter lock on himself...preparing to beam to his mostly jet black red lined and blocky Interwarp ready shuttle.

Then though... Lore pauses...decloaking himself.

He faintly laughs...slightly turning to Cass.

With some sick amusement... Lore comments, "half Q, all repulsive human. I should have known you'd come looking for revenge for what I did to your little friend."

With her phaser still out... Cass glares heatedly back at him.

She says, "oh, don't get me wrong: I'd sure like to take you down for the good of the Federation. But, if you want to keep your damn life...you'll tell me what you did to the cosmos. I saw many visions in that huge distortion. You didn't even tell them. Faint laugh. Come on, Lore. I thought you'd fit right in with "eugenically minded" agent demons from hell."

Lore laughs bitterly.

Lore concludes lowly, "me: Have compassion for a human? I never really had it. You're right: I didn't tell Section 31. But, it doesn't matter now: You're too late! Once I get in my shuttle...I leave this universe destroyed, and I get to go back to mine without a single repulsive human to stop me. Once I make it, it'll be too late for even my dear brother Data to find me."

Interestingly... Cass darkly chuckles hard.

Lore glares piercingly, "what is so amusing? I have set this universe on the path to its own demise, Cass! You and all the other wastes of life here are about to lose everything. There's nothing left for you to go back to."

With a serious tone... Cass pinpoints, "if so, then you've destroyed the multiverse. I don't believe I'm saying this myself. But... Moderate sigh. Lore, unless you help me put it all back together...we all are going to be blasted away by the cosmos. I know even you, a demon android, wouldn't just stand for that."

Lore mutters back, "you're lying."

Sounding slightly amused with herself... Cass challenges, "am I? Or, are you too happy with your devil work or your own reflection to see that I'm right?"

Lore turns back to the console, pressing more keys to remotely start up his shuttle.

Lore figures determinedly, "well, I don't believe you. You're merely desperately trying to get me to travel back through time to erase my greatest accomplishments with Interwarp so you don't have to "do the dirty work". But, it's not going to...work."

He's beaming over to his shuttle...when a brilliant flash of mirrory dark bluish and light bluish light is cast over the entire universe.

The Outer Rim, a Dyson Sphere, Borg Environmental Probes across the quadrants, scattered debris fields from months ago full of mostly brown and blackish radiation filled derelict ships, scattered Klingon Birds-Of-Prey... It reaches them all.

Then, like stars at warp... A rainfall of darkly cast brilliance is falling up of dark blue lightning subspace distortions...one last time.


	22. Chapter 22: Final Attunement

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 22:

Voices and bobble back and forth...in a chaotic whirlpool of hard groans in battle and counting down minutes.

Across every fractured possibility... Captain Janeway is coughing hard...crouched down against the edge of the smoking off doorframe and getting dizzier and dizzier.

With a chillingly faint smile... Gemma Elinor fires her phaser at her.

Just as quick though... Captain Janeway side tumbles out of the way...firing her phaser at her while on her side.

But, Gemma Elinor falls unconscious to the ground from her phaser blast. And, Captain Janeway faintly smiles to herself...just before falling unconscious herself with a hard groan.

Across every fractured possibility... Captain Picard is leaning against the open console in the Engineering section...struggling to hold onto consciousness as he rewires some left behind engineering equipment and wires towards Rene's bio-stasis chamber.

Sparks fly past his head.

The countdown on the USS Pegasus's Bridge's Tactical screen is mostly at three minutes and counting. It fluctuates from four to one in fractured off time in distorted half images.

In one fractured possibility... Captain Picard falls back with a hard groan...in a dazed state before many a bright spark.

In another... He pulls out the wires keeping Rene neurally linked to the USS Pegasus in time to stop the countdown...and Rene begins to finally wake up from stasis.

Mirrory ripples pass through the smoke and lightning subspace distortions.

And, reflected in these ripples…is every possible past and future playing out on their own: In the very center of a massive temporal rupture fracturing into more.

Purplish rimmed dark blue rectangular fractures with spiny cord like bright white lightning flashes are crackling down the lightning subspace distortions like wildfire.

Flashes go by: Of jagged claw like gray earth and metal grinding and melting into lava before the stars... Of wormholes of green and red swirling past rolling boulders and shot down Dyson Spheres before the Vohrsoth... Of proton particle beams splitting into sharp blue, red, and yellow cosmic splotches before prismatic orbs of primordial times...

And, between the splotches... It flashes all around...between Borg Cubes and spaceborne cavernous metallic Orpiro lab domes, against a solid black and whitish blue mosaic of floating cosmic tiles.

The USS Pegasus, Lore's shuttle, and the Section 31 starship are spiraling down...swept in the swirling cosmic splotches like a boiling off river filled with deviled horn like particles.

Lore's shuttle and the Section 31 ship's shields go down.

The bulkheads creak and bend back with fluctuating on and off wear and tear. Hull breaches and little fiery explosions come and go in different timelines.

No longer seeing Lore in the Jefferies tube... Cass quickly uses the same panel to beam to his coordinates.

But...the transporter beam bends and fluctuates before the crackling down bright white flashes.

Between some of the cosmic tiles... Past the splitting proton particles... Lore rematerializes on top of his shuttle...almost falling off.

Looking coldly frustrated... Lore runs off of the shuttle.

It explodes behind him in fiery debris, knocking him hard into the side of the Section 31 ship.

Lore though just cloaks himself back in a constantly fluctuating mirrory state of being...phase tumbling right through the ship's winding corridor and back on his feet.

Past his mirrory state of being... There's hints of a cruel dark grin in the fluctuations around his android head.

Lore jump dives into the cosmic splotches...swimming along them in his mirrory state of being.

Cass rematerializes...on top of the original 23rd century USS Enterprise in another timeline, under their shields in outer space.

She's coughing hard and dizzy from the transporter beam whiplash.

Radioactive green and blue fragments in a wave of asteroids are being blown up by the USS Enterprise's phasers. What's left is being collected by buzzard collectors before they can collide with a mostly blue planet with islands. They got low energy shield generators that look like large mostly brown black and red lined rustic missiles to shield the alien populations from the high tides.

As the shields fluctuate from the radiation... Cass finds it hard to breathe.

Wasting no time... She on impulse injects herself with her next to last hypospray dosage.

She vanishes from the 23rd century USS Enterprise.

In the center of the massive whirlpool of a fractured multiverse... Cass appears as a Prophet again...splitting into many timelines of herself against the fractured time.

They all have massive headaches from the split.

But, without time itself to weigh them down... They all get back up and run charge after Lore in no time...from one reddish green swirled wormhole opening to a timeline to another.

In teary eyed heated rage... They all call out, "Lore! !"

Lore faintly laughs to himself as he hears her across the multiverse.

Without time to weigh him down much... Lore already knows where he's diving to.

He dives out of the cosmic splotches...using the stable end of a ghost like bluish green temporal wormhole to slow down his descent.

Fractured time seconds later... A battered and burnt looking Enterprise C goes into the wormhole...back into its timeline as firing Klingon disrupters and Federation phasers from years ago from a Yesterday's Enterprise are heard from behind.

Most of the time fractured copies of Cass are struck down by the crackling down bright white lightning flashes. But, in a steep dive...some of them fly on through the temporal ripples and cosmic splotches.

In one passing by timeline, in the middle of the Dominion War...

The Orion Syndicate is making a mostly ring shaped Jefferies tube like grayish rimed dark green superweapon for the Dominion to fire against Deep Space Nine near Empok Nor, with several very moldy like dark green metal beeping antimatter reactor cores and grid lined metal bars held up by gray radiator like braces.

A somewhat large fleet of very moldy like dark green pterodactyl like Orion Raiders with very sharp spikes along their wings and Jem'Hadar fighters are on patrol to defend it. The USS Enterprise E is coming in with a spread of quantum torpedoes to stop them...with help from ten Klingon Birds-of-Prey and the USS Defiant firing disrupters and pulse cannons.

In another passing by timeline, in the fourth year of the USS Voyager's journey home...

The USS Voyager comes across a sector sized perfectly cloaked Dyson Sphere with burn marks across it...which turns out to have been holding former rulers for a red beady eyed and mostly chalky bluish mollusk resembling race called the Chodak.

One million three hundred and six years ago... They were overthrown by a force of rebel Chodak, who thought their rulers were growing too powerful with Dyson Spheres, Delphic Expanse Spheres to contain and expand most kinds of captured subspace distortions and Sphere-Builder rumors to hide that the Chodak built them, and other such reality warping developments in their empire.

They've been in stasis in bright greenish force field protected stasis chambers ever since. That is...until both Species 8472 and the Borg sent forces of their own to try to take the sector sized Dyson Sphere for themselves.

The sector sized Dyson Sphere burned their forces away, and the energy of the automated systems used to do so caused a great enough fluctuation in the energy into the stasis chambers for the Chodak rulers to reawaken and try to turn the Dyson Sphere back to reclaim the solar systems of their long gone ancient empire that used to span the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

It's not long before the USS Voyager fires phasers to solder a way to beam in, and security teams start beaming in: Against speeding over Chodak rulers in their reactivated mobile and heavily fortified mostly dark gray life support capable artificial shells, with a glass bowl and pairs of blinking yellow lights for highly advanced pattern buffer and force field emitters.

Back in the very center of the crackling down time fractures...

Ten time fractured copies of Cass come flying out of the ripples...closing in on Lore.

He's taking a ride on a Orion raider, with his android body phased through the top.

With his arms in a fluctuating mirrory state... He tosses the dark green Orion figures piloting the Orion raider right through the then shattering glass windshield.

They scream as they're lost to the splotches and ripples of cosmos.

Lore phases his way into the cockpit.

He decloaks himself to access the controls without phasing through, darkly grinning to himself.

He's steering the Orion raider in a hard 360 degree turn...heading for a very dark red wormhole.

On the other side is a very gray office for Oren with desk and all...in a Section 31 ship with Interwarp capability in the Mainstream universe. And, Lore has the Orion raider's dark green beam particle cannons aimed in their direction.

Another time fractured copy of Cass dives in deeper through fractured time...diving for a faint bright green wormhole with a faintly familiar face on the other side.

Some bright white and dark blue lightning flashes flash by. She closes her eyes as she dives into the wormhole.

After a bit...she opens her eyes.

She seems to be on the upper level of the promenade on Deep Space Nine.

Most everything around her looks intact and mostly calm in fogged up glass. Yet, the lower deck looks to be flickering on and off in bright white lightning flashes, the sound of rain, and time distorted echoes.

And, turning to face her is Sarina...faintly smiling knowingly and faintly teary eyed.

Before Cass says something... Sarina insists kind of uneasily, "you don't have to tell me. You're reaching me in my brain. I know why. You want my help to save all of the universes...and you're not looking to come back."

Kind of awkwardly... Cass tries to explain, "not exactly: I left a part of me back wi..."

Mostly assuringly... Sarina says, "I know, Cass. Heavy sigh. After my time on Deep Space Nine and meeting Doctor Julian Bashir...I've wished that many that were lost in the Dominion War can come back. But, I understand why you feel there is no better way than to leave a neurological self image with your friend Four. I'm proud of how so altruistic you are."

Tearing up a little in bittersweet feelings... A faintly smiling Cass says, "ohh. Thank you, Sarina."

They hug each other close.

Sounding very determined herself... Sarina then concludes, "you're welcome. Now...show me what you see and I'll show you a way."

Cass concludes, "all right."

After a bit... Through the chaotic whirlpool of temporal ruptures and ripples in Cass's mind... Past Lore's commandeered Orion raider... Sarina points to a just forming temporal distortion.

Unlike the others, it's made of and giving off more of a flux of bright white and dark blue lightning subspace distortions. And, behind it is a time from many months ago.

A darkly grinning Lore is in his shuttle, steering and disappearing back into Interwarp for the present. Behind him is a red star...and a burst of burning shards of a USS Enterprise E and its metaphasic shielding coming from it.

Cass glares heatedly in its direction. For, with a Q like feeling... She just felt Doctor Crusher's and Deanna Troi's screams from the temporal distortion.

Cass mutters under her breath, "god, I want to beat up Lore so bad."

With some mixed feelings... Sarina reflects, "well, I hate leaving anyone to be disposed. But...he is a lethal android with very sadistic behavior and very little care for anyone but himself. Go get him, Cass."

Cass faintly smiles bittersweetly to her...before going back into the temporal fractures.

Not long after, in the temporal fractures...

Present Lore is going to warp in the Orion raider...seconds away from the temporal distortion before him.

Then though... It crashes.

Android parts of Lore and flaming shards of the Orion raider are falling through the splotches and ripples.

But, with his fully functioning android head... And, with cold anger... Lore realizes, "you...destroyed me. No one in the multiverse could destroy me!"

The same time fractured copy of Cass that reached out to Sarina is standing in front of the closing temporal distortion to Oren's office...just lightly dusting her arms off like it's nothing and completely undamaged.

With a dark grin... Cass says, "looks like you're finally grounded in reality detention, Lore. Faint dark chuckle. You might even be reassembled in another time having learned not to try to play god."

With a glare of great devilish hate... Lore defiantly cries out, "even a god can burn, Cass! Even a god can..."

Then... His sparking off android head fades...into the light red diner like flashes of the then rapidly washing away temporal ruptures.

By every opening temporal distortion with more lightning subspace distortion flux than others... The time fractured copies of Cass are evaporating them by Prophet powered thought alone, with light red diner like flashes from her slightly open fists.

They're getting tired from struggling to keep them evaporating. The chaotic temporal ripples and splotches are pushing back at them hard like high tides.

They're not drowning. But, they're coughing hard as their visions start to blur more and more.

Soon, in fractured time... The temporal wormholes in the chaotic whirlwind, the crackling down bright white lightning distortions... They're all washing away before normal space.

Cass's time fractured copies merge back into one.

And, as she's coughing hard more and more...she knows all too well what that means.

She bends over, struggling to hold onto consciousness as the last lightning subspace distortions from the cosmic rainfall are washing away.

But, in her last fractured minutes of holding onto consciousness... Cass injects herself with her last hypospray dosage.

To herself... Cass says with a knowing bittersweet smile, "no more down the gutter for any of us."

And, with her last Q thought with her arms out wide... She takes some very nervous deep breaths...and turns into a very bright white bluish light of hope.

Her bright white bluish light scatters across the mostly intact universe, passing from Borg vessel to Borg vessel.

In bursts of bright white light... The Borg Collective itself is vaporized in their computerized cries.

And, in their place...are personas of individuality rising back up again by the trillions.

Initiated self destructs of Borg vessels, the electrical discharges and self destructs of Borg D'Sora and Borg Minuet... The current commands of the Borg Collective are vaporized along with their collective voices.

Section 31's plan to assimilate the Borg Environmental Probes is stopped just in time by Captain Picard sabotaging Rene's connection to the USS Pegasus's cosmically battered up systems and freeing him...just before he falls unconscious.

Borg Jem'Hadar, Borg Cardassians, Borg Hirogens, Borg Vulcans, human Borg, Borg Betazoids... They're standing down and backing away from the very confused and still conscious members of the Maquis, the scattered Klingon forces, Hugh's resistance, and the EMH Doctor's resistance.

With Minuet's lingering connection to the Borg vessels... She gets enough of the strongest willed former Borg drones together to beam up the unconscious on both sides for medical treatment.

Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine, Gemma Elinor, Doctor Bashir, Captain Picard, Kellin, and many a former Borg drone from the EMH Doctor's Sphere are among the unconscious.

Murmurs of confusion and tense unease fill the Borg corridors on both sides.

Tens of hundreds of former Borg including most of the former Borg Jem'Hadar decide they're not worthy.

Before their friends from before assimilation can stop them...they beam away or bend hard over their Borg implant covered arms to become unconscious.

Most everyone goes eerily silent. Even Admiral Ross and Valar from the Section 31 ship don't know what to make of the trillions of former Borg out there.

But, one thing soon becomes very clear: The fight with the Borg against the storm shadows is over.


	23. Chapter 23: The Nano-Regenerative Pulse

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Chapter 23:

Around then, on what's left of the USS Pegasus...

Data and former Borg prototype drone Jenna D'Sora stand up slowly.

At first, even Jenna D'Sora isn't sure what just happened.

A few seconds later though... It falls into place.

Sounding not so sure still... Data checks, "are you damaged?"

With a faint laugh... Former Borg prototype drone Jenna D'Sora answers uneasily, "not of the physical kind."

Data pauses, "sorry. I do not understand."

Jenna D'Sora recalls, "umm... Right. Right. You hid your emotion chip from the Borg."

She starts to look back down, a little shakily: Almost robotically.

Data is scanning her with his tricorder.

Data figures, "according to my neurological readings... You are no longer Borg."

Teary eyed... Jenna D'Sora looks up, "I really hope I am. Sniffle! I can't stand the thought of assimilating any more. All those voices... All the pain of friends past and freedom..."

Data observes, "fortunately Jenna... From your sudden largely unexplained returning feelings... Your freedom and the freedom of the Borg Collective apparently seems likely."

He walks over to the nearest battered up burnt window frame of the USS Pegasus. Jenna D'Sora kind of awkwardly and uncertainly follows him.

And, out that window... The Borg Queen Vessel is joined by several crackling greatly damaged Borg Cubes, amidst a handful of Starfleet shuttles and Klingon Birds-of-Prey.

No demands that anyone will be assimilated. No firing.

With a sympathetic hand on his... A faintly smiling Jenna D'Sora says, "well, right now... I'm glad you're right as usual, Data: Particularly now."

Data concludes, "given the past years of what we have experienced, that is most relieving to know."

They stand there: Just looking out together, arm in arm.

A tear falls from Jenna D'Sora's Borg implant covered face. But, she doesn't care right now.

After a bit... Data reasons, "perhaps it is time to retrieve my emotion chip."

Jenna D'Sora thinks out loud, "perhaps you're right. I hope we can all retrieve our full emotions, Data. It's been so long... Faint sniffle. Finding them again."

Data concludes firmly, "I too."

Jenna D'Sora is tempted to put him closer to her: To pick up where they could have very well left off some years ago...both standing on the edge of part machine and part human.

But, as a communication channel cuts in through her cranial implants... Jenna D'Sora just as quickly realizes they'll soon have all the time in the universe to go there.

Over the channel... Minuet calls to them in concern, "Jenna D'Sora, Data... The assimilations are over. Faint uneasy chuckle. I don't know how. But, the Borg Collective looks to have been wiped clean by Cass. Everyone else in the new Borg establishment has checked in and are getting necessary medical attention. Are you harmed?"

The greenish reddish tinted image is fluctuating a little. But, it's mostly coming in clear.

Minuet's windowed chest compartment has been recently extracted of liquid and Borg tubules. Drops are all that remain within.

On the Borg catwalk where Minuet stands... Like thousands across hundreds of Borg Cubes... There's beamed up unassimilated unconscious bodies: Of Klingons, humans, and former Borg of many races from the Federation and then some.

They're being treated with independently moving former Borg moving basic green beam emitting scanning devices as improvised Borg dermal regenerators.

Both of the EMH Doctors and Kes are standing by, helping alongside them with their own dermal regenerators.

Jenna D'Sora assures Minuet, "no: We're not harmed. Sorry to worry you Minuet."

Teary eyed herself in very mixed relief... Minuet solemnly says, "thank you."

She's thinking of both Commander Rikers as she says it: Will and his mirror Thomas...surrounded in darkness in the Borg invasion that came those many months ago, along with millions and millions of voices.

Hannah Bates, Kellin, Hugh's resistance, Hugh himself, and many Maquis members keep checking on the gone silent neural Borg connections throughout the Borg vessels: Still on guard.

But, deep down...they're slowly realizing there's no more Borg Collective in the whole universe.

Around this time, on the Borg Queen Vessel...

Admiral Pressman, Gemma Elinor, Reia... Most of Section 31 is lying on cleared off Borg operating tables and catwalks. So are many former Borg drones.

Soon as they wake up though... Section 31 will be kept locked up here in this devilish ship for their cruel actions: As reluctantly agreed by conscious members of the former Borg and of the Maquis.

Some former Borg Betazoids have even been beamed over to ensure Reia doesn't try anything.

Past Kathryn, Past Chakotay, and the two Andorians from earlier have already been beamed away from the Borg Queen Vessel.

Around this time, in some other universe...

On a desert planet with dark brown mountains and many still tumbleweeds... Smoking off parts of Lore and the Orion raider are scattered over the surface.

With a very dim green lit and mostly very dark blue mecha styled uniform... And, with his bald kind of veiny head... Shinzon stands before Lore's sparking off deactivated looking android head.

He's holding up a bulky very dark blue Romulan tricorder, scanning Lore's android head.

Shinzon faintly smirks as he passes over to Lore's burnt android torso.

As he scans the android torso... And, cooled off sounding... Shinzon says to his Viceroy, "Sela was right. Now this is a personal cloak."

Not long after, on another Borg Cube...

Rene comes to...on a cleared off Borg operating table.

Captain Picard is standing there, very bittersweetly smiling over his unassimilated body.

Looking up... Rene asks him, "uncle?"

Captain Picard tries to assure him, "Rene. Everything's going to be all right."

Sounding thunderstruck... Rene brings up, "I... I thought you, mummy, and father were..."

Teary eyed... Captain Picard figures, "...burned to death in a fire. I gathered. In this timeline, I'm the last Picard."

Rene questions nervously, "what do you mean this timeline, uncle?"

Captain Picard concludes, "oh. Well...you're no longer young. You might as well know."

Sitting up... Rene asks, "know what?"

Captain Picard points out, "heavy sigh. I thought there was a second Rene. Me, my counterpart... We were both so certain."

Twenty minutes or so earlier, on another cleared off Borg operating table...

Teary eyed... Sarina told him, "I'm sorry. Only one has made it out of the Section 31 ships."

Uneasily... Captain Picard concluded, "I see. Do you know which Rene?"

With interestingly a faint smile... Sarina pinpointed, "you're so caring: Even for the genetically enhanced that you don't like. But...does it really matter where he was from? He's still Rene, and he has family in this universe that needs him: You. The other you has yet to have a child of his own."

With a faint uncomfortable smile... Captain Picard realized solemnly, "perhaps you're right. Thank you."

Sarina solemnly admitted, "there's been too much lives lost to the Dominion and the Borg in this universe. I'll be glad for every time I could help do something for the future ahead."

Captain Picard concluded kind of reluctantly, "well, genetically enhanced or not...you're very caring yourself."

Bittersweetly... Sarina beamed, "thank you."

Presently...

A little teary eyed... Rene thinks out loud, "whatever universe he came from... Deep sigh. I'm sorry he couldn't make it back, uncle."

Captain Picard adds solemnly, "so am I, Rene."

Captain Picard reflects, "sometimes what we leave behind for the future is just as important as how we live. For or against time, we're only mortal: Which means we got to cherish and make the best of the moments we can. After all...we can't always expect a miracle to save countless lives."

He's thinking of Cass as he says the last part.

Rene faintly smiles. He nods.

After a bit... Rene starts to question, "yes. Sometimes it is just as important as living. But...what do you mean by expecting a miracle?"

Captain Picard concludes, "I'll tell you later. Right now, let's prepare to go back home."

Very nervously... Rene responds, "okay: If you're sure we can go back. Does it even look the same?"

Captain Picard figures, "unfortunately, it can never look the same. But...what's important is we're rebuilding and terraforming."

Out there, across the universe...

Borg Homeworlds are beginning to be restructured by Borg Cube cutting beams and beaming in plant seeds and water. Borg Environmental Probes are being sent out to give them breathable environments again.

And, over it all... Rene sincerely says, "that's hopeful. Thank you."

Captain Picard concludes solemnly, "no: Thank the Maquis and Cass."

Rene adds confidently, "I will."

Around then, on a certain Jem'Hadar Tactical Borg Sphere...

Doctor Bashir has come to on a cleared off operating table. A cast is around his torso.

He's now on his feet, standing next to Jadzia Dax. She's a little teary eyed and has her hands behind her back: Kind of deep in thought.

Amin is kind of nervously standing opposite them. Jack is pacing back and forth: No longer with Borg implants.

Jack thinks out loud, "the sharpshooters, the Borg... But, Cass... Moderate sigh. Cass saved trillions and got it too complicated. They're free to link, link... Something is damn off! They assimilate. They multiply in computations into a "artificial intelligence". What's so artificial about living? We all multiply in calculations and findings. Borg never had findings their own: They assimilate. They conquer kings and queens."

With a faint but sharp glare... Doctor Bashir addresses him, "are you saying we got no choice but to fight a new generation of Borg that might never actually come?"

Like it's obvious... Jack recounts, "colonies that were Borg have become worse. Lore ruling over Hugh's colony, individuals that were Borg that were reassimilated trying to come rescue us against the Dominion... There have been no better courses in our equations: Even if we want there to be."

Jadzia Dax challenges, "I'd say that's a little closed minded, Jack. My people have been carrying symbionts for centuries and we never lost our free will to anyone. That is, unless we're counting this universe. But, aside from that one case... What makes you so sure we're any more special than someone waking up from a past life as former Borg?"

Amin faintly smirks. Doctor Bashir faintly smiles, looking a bit stunned.

Pausing... Jack deduces, "you know... I still don't know about trusting the Borg that were. Still... Maybe you're right."

Sounding somber... Jadzia Dax reasons, "good enough."

Doctor Bashir brings up, "unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you are. Are you all right?"

Jadzia Dax admits out loud, "not really, Julian. Faint sniffle. My people are going to be far from all right. It's... Deep sigh. It's really taboo to go back to living as previous hosts: Even if it's the only way to survive past the smelly Borg Trill aquariums. I worry how they'll take the realization."

With a sympathetic hand on her arm... Doctor Bashir concludes, "I'm afraid I can't entirely say. But, I'm confident at least some of them will learn to live with it."

Jadzia Dax doesn't draw away this time. She very faintly smirks and nods.

A little teary eyed... Amin brings up, "they're not the only ones. My people, humans, Vulcans...they all got to. You're not alone, Jadzia."

Jadzia Dax solemnly adds, "thanks." Amin solemnly adds, "you're welcome."

Jack rants, "that's limited living. What we don't have in front of us we don't learn. One life on top of another, firing disrupters. But, no, no! It's easy for Trill. They live lives on top of another for easy living."

Amin comments back, "and another not so easy life for another not so easy life. Yeah: So much for trying to sound smarter."

Standing inches away from her... Jack mutters, "I don't have to: I am smarter. Why should I hide it? Does that annoy you?"

Doctor Bashir shoots back, "Jack!"

With a hand slightly up... Amin assures, "it's ok, Doctor. After growing up with Reia, nothing else annoys me any more."

The others faintly chuckle over that.

Then, as a being built up prototype Borg Homeworld for a new Bajor is shown over the Borg Viewscreen... Reality starts to really sink in.

The road may be bumpy with many a former Borg ship and many a former Borg Homeworld. But, a part of them and of others in the Maquis will always be back in the good old days of Starfleet.

In the course of several weeks...

Borg Homeworld structures and blueprints for reconstructing and terraforming Earth, Bajor, Betazed, and most other planets across previously mostly assimilated galaxies are underway thanks to the unassimilated former Borg. Only a handful of planets such as Qo'nos and Romulus opt out of that deal to rebuild themselves.

It turns out most of the last ships from other universes pulled in by lightning subspace distortions have been hiding in the Badlands or in the anomaly filled Beta Quadrant: Hiding from the Borg and too heavily damaged to go back out and fight back until by that time the fighting is over.

Most of them also happen to have pulled out from near destruction from their universes, and so the question comes of if they can stay in this universe or not.

After all, their enemies finding this universe through lingering lightning subspace distortions could very well start another battle for the multiverse.

Meanwhile... Doctor Bashir's think tank turn to the former Borg's Environmental Probes and Borg Homeworlds with subspace distortion dampeners focused on the remaining anomalies to repair the space-time continuum. It was developed with help from the USS Voyager crew's data concerning a certain nebula dampening space station from several years ago.

But before that... Unassimilated Borg drones across the universe keep enough lightning subspace distortions stable enough for the ones that want to return to their universes: Ready to destabilize the distortions as soon as they're on the other side to make it look like just random wormholes.

Past Chakotay, Past Kathryn, Kes, the alternate EMH Doctor, the alternate Doctor Bashir, Ehras... They're all heading back to their universes through the stabilized subspace distortions.

Across many viewscreens... They're waving back to the forces of the Maquis and the EMH Doctor's resistance. And, back to them...they're waving back.

Most of the Klingons and Trills choose to stay in this universe, seeing it as another life of its own or as better than facing dishonor. But, some of other races on other ships do as well.

K'Olagh goes to Qo'nos to be part of the slowly but surely coming back together Klingon Empire: On his way to becoming a General in the newly forming Klingon Defense Force. But, he says goodbye to Tyrik and Endri first.

In his goodbye... K'Olagh admits that "you have more honor than I knew, Endri. For honor, we go. For honor, we shall one day fight together".

And, much to Tyrik's satisfied mostly stoic face and to Endri's amused slight smile... K'Olagh gives her his Bat'leth before he goes.

As for Four and Endri?

Four apologizes for "taking out my emotions on you a month and a half prior to today".

Teary eyed... Endri admits that "so am I. She was seriously frustrating the first time I saw her. But, in recent hours... I realize Cass was also a very caring woman".

Faintly teary eyed... Four concludes that, "yes: She was. Thank you".

And, with a sympathetic hand on each other's hands... Endri says that "you're welcome".

Meanwhile, in the new Federation... Starfleet has given way to Star Defense.

They're not very diplomatic and more hands off.

In Star Defense, Thomas Riker and Commander Shelby are commanders of their own starships: The USS Titan and the fully rebuilt USS Excalibur.

Jack, Patrick, Doctor Bashir, and Sarina are heading Neméos: The intelligence agency in the new Starfleet. Kellin is one of their agents.

As for the trillions of unassimilated Borg across this universe?

Some hundreds of the unassimilated Borg drones keep their implants and become a Cooperative: Seeing the implants as part of their new life, and that the struggle to accept their past actions and go on without neural links as formerly Borg is a part of life for them.

But, their alcoves are being modified to be like neurally linked holodecks to enjoy themselves in. So, it's not a life devoid of individuality beyond unassimilation either.

Lauren joins with the Cooperative as their main liason and gets some new implants to replace her abandoned ones: With "many a suitor for her attention" among them and "nothing but a life of free time to love it". But, she drew the line at Borg Trill.

Minuet, most of Hugh's resistance, and most of the unassimilated Bynars are also finding a place to call home with the Cooperative.

Hundreds of billions of former Borg undergo the recalibrations for the EMH Doctor's resistance's recalibrated implants.

Some remove all their implants and spend many months on Borg Cubes like Magnus, Lieutenant Barclay, and Hannah Bates...crying and thinking over where to go now until they find it.

Some are holographically passing off as having removed all their implants: Like a unassimilated Geordi La Forge, Hugh and his second in command, and a unassimilated T'Pak.

The Jadzia Dax from another time is heading the new Symbiosis Commission.

Some take the option to go back to the Caves of Mak'ala as Trill symbionts and await for new host bodies. Some live on in unassimilated host bodies...while grappling with all those memories and selecting which ones to memory block to go on not being overwhelmed by those memories.

The EMH Doctor, Tom Paris, the rest of the remaining members of USS Voyager's original crew, and most of the unassimilated humans return to Earth.

But, even with what's happened in recent days... Captain Janeway and Seven are planning to soon join Star Defense "to help keep our families together and keep a eye on things in case we have to stop the Borg from assimilating again". Most of the USS Defiant's crew, Tom Paris, and Lydia Anderson are also planning to soon join Star Defense.

Captain Nog and the Ferengi fleet return to the Gamma Quadrant: Satisfied more than well enough with the gold pressed Latinum and Ferengi tolerant forces there.

In the midst of sudden peace through the multiverse, Odo and Laas help some scattered Changelings scattered in the galaxy that they rescued from the Borg earlier come out of hiding.

Odo gives over control of the Gamma Quadrant to Grand Nagus Zek "just to spite Quark". He stays in the Alpha Quadrant, near where the new Bajor will be in honor of Kira's memory.

Captain Picard goes on to raise a found again Rene on the quickly being terraformed city of Paris on Earth. Minuet said it was the least she could do "to make it up to the captain of the Enterprise for the Borg's blinded dance steps given to her".

With the days ahead fewer of a certain captain... Mainstream Captain Picard and Vash return to the Mainstream universe to have a child of their own.

But ironically, in light of what has happened, Mainstream Captain Picard and Vash name their child Cass: Even though he happens to not be a girl and be instead a boy with dark brown medium hair.

And, with Data's emotion chip back in his neural net... Jenna D'Sora with no more Borg implants and Data are planning to return to Earth. But, not before taking a month away to explore the Alpha Quadrant for more unassimilated survivors.

Across the universe... They're all slowly realizing the storm has passed along with the shadows of the Borg.

And, out there... The stars are shining so much brighter now: With so much less darkness and lightning subspace distortions around.

Several days later, on a unknown holodeck...

With her assimilation tubules in the Arch... Four downloads something into the holodeck.

With help from recalibrations for the EMH Doctor's resistance's recalibrated implants... She's got one side of her body with no more Borg implants and the other side with the implants still there. But, she has two blue Andorian antennae on both sides of her head.

Four retracts her assimilation tubules. She draws back from the Arch as it vanishes.

In the scene... There's a very light gray tan house with white frames in the wall corners. There's a chandelier of crystalline golden egg like lights hanging over the wooden living room floor.

And, sitting on the white couch decorated in winding green slime trails and beanstalks... There's a holographic Cass in slightly greasy black jeans and a white T-shirt with a red ring in the middle: From the part of Cass still living within Four Four downloaded in through the Arch.

Four sits next to her.

A low key ballad styled Andorian song is playing in the background.

Cass questions, "how was your day?"

Sounding a little agitated... Four replies, "collectively, we are one individual of two personal strengths. Yet... Heavy sigh. You like to hear on my day like you were not seeing it in my own head."

Solemnly... Cass concludes, "I'm sorry, Four. It's not like I wasn't. I like hearing them again in your own personal thoughts. But, also..."

Sounding calmer now... Four asks, "yes, Cass?"

She has a sympathetic hand on hers.

With a faint smile... Cass looks up, "you're talking to me like I'm still me. I'm really thankful of that."

Four concludes, "you are welcome. But, what were you going to reveal to me?"

Suddenly remembering what she was going to say... Cass says, "ohh. Right. The other foot is... Moderate sigh. I really don't want to overwhelm your personal thoughts with mine: However not easy that is...as you've already been getting all classic Batman over my thoughts in your assessment."

With a bit of mixed feelings... Four adds, "it is ok: I understand. Thank you, Cass."

Cass says, "you're welcome, Four."

She cozies up to Four's Andorian side, smiling up at her.

Four lightly puts her non-implant decorated arm around her.

Cass asks again, "so...how was your day?"

With a faint smirk... Four thinks out loud, "to start... I like the Snow White holo-novel you suggested. Very dark and gothic how the author did it with seven raggy robot drones."

A little awkwardly... Cass reflects, "good. I think it's just ok. But, I thought you'd like it more."

Four assures her, "I do."

Four goes on, "then, the forming Andorian Empire in our universe started a Universe Origins Exchange program. Certainly a efficient one from what I have been hearing by the Alpha Quadrant. I have been thinking of entering myself."

Sounding impressed... Cass adds, "that's some really nice common ground. When do we go?"

 **The End Of The Storm of Shadows Before A Great Light…Or The Beginning of Another Coming Storm?**

 **Please Feel Free To Comment On Or Continue This Storyline**


	24. Special Feature: Notes in the Shadows

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Special Feature/Notes in the Shadows

Author Notes: This is a collection of notes around the Storm Shadows trilogy. But, it is also a guide to what I would for sure keep from Storm Shadows for the mainstream universe.

That's right. No reading from the Storm Shadows trilogy is even required to read these notes.

If you were to ask me if you should...

I'd recommend reading the Storm Shadows trilogy first. But, it's up to you.

With that in mind... There are a few major spoilers for the main storyline of the Storm Shadows trilogy in this collection of ideas. There's also slight to moderate spoilers outside of the main storyline.

Also... There's some fanfiction references to other Star Trek fanfiction stories I wrote. But, reading them is not required either.

So... Yeah.

Feel free to enjoy reading this collection of notes in the shadows of Storm Shadows.

From Storm Shadows(for the most part)

1) roughly everything from Parts 1-3

((1)) Part 1: Stranger _**/**_ a mission for Martok's crew gets tense quick when a Cardassian comes knocking to tell them a Changeling is on board his Klingon Bird-of-Prey (set not long after the Deep Space Nine episode Sons and Daughters)

((2)) Part 2: Overprotected _**/**_ a away mission to stop the Borg from using trajector technology to beam right through shields takes some turns for interesting when a former Borg drone is beamed back as well to save her life(set not long after the Voyager episode Dark Frontier)

((3)) (related to above) but not as badly damaged and not the same former Borg drone in the main universe

((4)) Part 3: Resistance _**/**_ the peace treaty between the Talarians and the Federation is put in jeopardy when a Betazoid woman ambassador suddenly replaces the Federation ambassador on Talar; but, most of the Federation denies they're responsible(set after the movie Star Trek: First Contact)

2) Storm Shadows was originally a rough draft for a choose your own adventure game set in a alternate timeline; so that's why roughly everything from Parts 1-3

From Storm Shadows - Suspiration(for the most part)

1) Section 31 Agent Gemma Elinor / The unnamed human female Science Officer in the Voyager 2-parter episode Future's End

((1)) has a soft toned but nearly chillingly shrill voice; like a police officer who is half demented computer A.I., half human, and all stuck up

((2)) Purposely screened out the sensor logs and information of the mobile emitter from Captain Braxton's timeship to keep the mobile emitter from being taken back to the 29th century

((3)) hoping the EMH Doctor would become overconfident to the point of replacing and possibly even disposing of incompetent crewmembers for Section 31(but this plan ultimately failed)

((4)) since that plan failed, she has been copying years worth of tactical information about the Delta Quadrant and of Voyager into her PADD; to deliver to Section 31 when Voyager eventually is able to gain access to a communications relay or the like to transmit the data back to Section 31 through a heavily encrypted message using Tuvok's authorization codes(which was with the Hirogen communications array)

((5)) (never went into) before the Hirogen communications array was taken out, the instructions given back to her through her "letter" were to "establish codes for all potential threats Voyager comes across"

((6)) (related to above) backdoors for Section 31 to hack into later to leave the worlds of "all potential threats" vulnerable to their reprogramming, when Gemma Elinor returns to the Alpha Quadrant and Section 31 can go back through Interwarp to crash their civilizations

((7)) (at least implied) but kind of thankfully, the Borg canceled out that plan altogether in the Storm Shadows universe(by assimilating most of those civilizations and completely reconfiguring their technology to be that of Borg)

((8)) in the main universe(and after the Dominion War), Starfleet Intelligence catches Section 31 first; thanks to some certain members of Voyager's crew having become part of Starfleet Intelligence(from Season 7: Endgame(Side C) from the fanfiction story collection Starrider)

2) the Borg would leave inactive Borg Queen unit parts on each Borg Cube to be assembled into Borg Queens: As immediate backups for the current Borg Queen unit, in the event that it is destroyed in battle

3) more on Betazoid culture

((1)) being left to one's thoughts is a often frowned upon thought; mostly out of sadness, since they hate seeing one of their own choosing to close themselves off from their comfort

((2)) (related to above) but even among Betazoids on Betazed, there are some Betazoids that like being left alone to one's thoughts(especially in adolescence)

((3)) (at least a little implied) like the Betazoid government, the eldest daughter would be given the chores around the house as well as the role of a "secondary mother"(like a nanny)

((4)) (related to above) in preparation for acceptance of Betazoid ways as a whole(even if they don't intend to stay on Betazed), and to help comfort the children of the household through adolescence(where their parents's thoughts might very well not be "sensitive enough" to comfort them)

4) (only implied) Vulcans sometimes choose to dye their hair lighter to carry a more "human-friendly" presence among humans(which encompasses most of Starfleet personnel)

5) (only a little implied) Vulcans trust Vulcan parents and their logic, but sometimes to a fault; they can have their children starve until they give in to what they want(and not just for a Vulcan rite of passage either)

6) Tulan; not a stuck up merchant or ill tempered "king" on a mission

((1))human and not Ligorian(completely ignoring most every single other thing from the very much sucks The Next Generation episode Code of Honor)

((2)) no king, but likes to think he is

((3)) also a deeply troubled Section 31 member; quick to take anything that might remotely challenge his own orders as a challenge to fight in a arena(holodeck or otherwise)

7) when Sarina left her genetically enhanced friends to pursue a normal life, she worked towards finding a way to help most of them get over their side effects on her own time(after the Deep Space Nine episode Chrysalis)

((1)) even after Doctor Bashir practically saying that wasn't possible

((2)) but at least in the main universe, Sarina is successful eight years later; using her own neurology and DNA as a neural and genetic template

Interwarp

-(in both the Storm Shadows universe and the main universe) the main Section 31 vessel is equipped with a very advanced and potentially dangerous Interwarp drive(with a few salvaged Borg transwarp drive components and a lot of warp drive components combined to make this hybrid warp drive)

((1)) capable of staying between all galaxies and sectors for several minutes(including quantum realities and other galaxies beyond typical scientific laws of matter called outer realities by Section 31 after the Outer Rim) at Warp 10 without having to see everything at once

((2)) but a holoemitter enhanced viewscreen on the Bridge can help screen out possible locations by voice command within a few minutes

((3)) without leaving any scientifically identifiable residue trace(unlike any kind of warp drive before it)

((4)) without causing outer reality related biological changes; used by extracting DNA responsible for Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome(from The Next Generation episode Genesis) from some of Lieutenant Barclay's DNA(thanks to a Section 31 member)

((5)) (related to above) and recreating the same conditions that caused it to release it onto a Dominion Alpha Quadrant outpost as a experiment to help them keep it under control in gas form for the purpose of being a adjustable counteragent to any possible Interwarp related biological changes

((6)) without a warp core breach(thanks to aforementioned Borg Transwarp components)

((7)) direct time travel or direct dimensional travel through Interwarp though is much harder to achieve for the Interwarp drive because of a highly probable dangerous collision with itself in a quantum reality or outer reality caused by a self made causality loop from staying between galaxies for more than several minutes(regardless of the possibility of a warp core breach)

((8)) the only past example of a kind of Interwarp is Tom Paris crossing the maximum typical warp drive threshold for Transwarp(from the fanfiction story Falling Down); which would cause a typical Federation shuttle or starship to have a warp core breach in a matter of seconds without a rare form of more concentrated Dilithium from the Delta Quadrant at the very least; alternatively could be called the Interwarp Barrier

((9)) (only a little implied later on; never really went into) but Interwarp was discouraged by Section 31 to others even afterwards to try to prevent others from improving on its potential(and so Section 31 could be the only ones to use Interwarp)

((10)) (related to above) hence why it was called the Transwarp Barrier by most of Starfleet, which doubled as more minor discouragement for non-Section 31 starships to develop or use Transwarp drive

Historical Log I: Throne of Ice Caps

-a history of the Andorians; including the very beginning with Uzaveh the Infinite, why they had a population crisis, and more

Historical Log II: Assimilation Day

-a historical log of who the very first Borg were before they became the Borg, what led them to becoming the Borg, and key events that happened before and around the first rise of the Borg

Historical Log III: Q and Vespers

-a historical log of primordial times of the Q Continuum, the coming of the very first Vohrsoth leader and the Vohrsoth, the Q Continuum's battle with the Vohrsoth, and key events that happened before and after the battle

Andorian Battleships

-purposely different from Star Trek: Enterprise's Andorian Battle Cruiser

((1)) originally was going to be crab shaped in the Star Trek Original series

((2)) EM pulse beam cannons _**/**_ longer lasting focused EM pulses in dark blue phaser beam like form capable of overloading typical shield sections or ship sections in single shots(but need their own shields down while they're in use to avoid hitting their shields with it)

((3)) Silvery icicle spikes around the sides of its hull; it doubles as last resort heavy duty torpedoes against enemy ships(but only if the spikes are not phasered or cut off first; only as tough as the hull)

((4)) since Star Trek: First Contact movie though, they've upgraded their spikes to have quantum torpedoes in cryogenic tubes(becoming like nano-nova booms capable of taking out a entire section); with the spike itself hitting the shields long enough for the quantum torpedo to continue on its path in the shield

((5)) the warp nacelles are in the back, built into the crab shell styled saucer section; no polarization or deflector dish(but has a vacuum airlock venting system for redirecting space particles that accumulate in space)

((6)) when it's stationary, it generates a Cryor shell through the bio-neural gel run Multianics and a special set of internal Cryor beam arrays; freezing the outside and borders of the ship to protect it from accumulating space particles, but locking out anyone inside or out(so at least one Andorian must be onboard to warm up the ship to get back in, and anyone who wants to beam down can't be late)

((7)) their systems are run on Multianics: Bio-neural responsive electronics before the Federation started to think bio-neural gel packs were a neat idea

((8)) Andorian sub-sonic communication through their antennae can operate Multianics with thought alone

((9)) But, Multianics rely on neural energy for power: Which means even non-Andorians can operate them with proper training

((10)) needless to say…Multianics has been a very sensitive topic in the Federation for quite some time: Not helped by the first appearances of the Borg

Cryors

((1)) (only implied) handheld phaser like weapons capable of freezing gases to beings in bright white phaser beam like form

((2)) but can destroy a typical being in a few minutes if not thawed out in time and so should be beamed directly to an Andorian starship if the Andorian with the involved Cryor wants the being not to be destroyed

Simplified Andorian Biology

-only implied at best; but was kept in mind throughout the Storm Shadows trilogy

((1)) includes a redundant heart in addition to the rest of their redundant circulatory system; with one overlapping another and bone structure thinner in the back and front to accommodate(partly contributes to very high pain sensitivity, higher adrenaline levels, higher mental strength to help with pain, higher metabolism, internal warmth in cold climates without overheating in hot or warm climates, and thicker bones)

((2)) a secondary nervous system involving their antennae and a third brain hemisphere in the back(partly contributes to very high pain sensitivity, higher sensory sensitivity, sub-sonic communication capability among themselves and with other sub-sonic communication alien species if any, higher metabolism, higher adrenaline levels, higher metabolism, higher mental strength to help with pain, emergency nervous system redundancy where the less damaged nervous system helps compensate for impairment of both sensory and higher functioning roles, and thicker bones)

((3)) sixth sense detection through their antennae from electrical fields comparable to a tricorder to sound sensitivity much more sensitive than bat sonar

((4)) thicker thinner bones than most alien species(but also more vulnerable to high impact blows)

((5)) and Klingon level strength

((6)) for more "intimate encounters", Zhens and Shens can be very similar(only seem different in that regard for most non-Andorians because of not wanting to think about the four Andorian genders much)

((7)) for more "intimate encounters", Thaans and Chans can be very similar(only seem different in that regard for most non-Andorians because of not wanting to think about the four Andorian genders much)

More Around Star Trek: Generations

-moderate spoilers for Star Trek: Generations and major spoilers for Storm Shadows -Attunement here

((1)) when the main Section 31 ship stayed in Interwarp too long, it crashed into a mirror of itself and crash landed into Robert Picard's vineyard; the fire that Robert was lost to was the very same one

((2)) with Rene as a young genius though, Section 31 originally only meant to kidnap Rene to try to turn him into a Section 31 agent

((3)) Main universe Lore though, thanks to a message from his counterpart in the Storm Shadows universe, came and saved Rene and another Section 31 agent in a Interwarp capable shuttle

((4)) Lore's pod has Interwarp; can calculate and speed fast enough to time travel and not collide with itself(especially with Lore's processing speed to do the calculating; so more the exception than the rule)

((5)) Rene survived the fire, but Section 31 gave him some prosthetics(with positronic neural circuitry)

((6)) and in stasis(because of Section 31); with a access port implant and Starfleet training holodeck programs(to turn him into a mission ops agent without his knowing)

((7)) fortunately, at least one Rene from the Storm Shadows universe or the main universe was rescued(at the very least by Captain Picard himself)

Main Universe Vash

-Main Universe Vash and Main Universe Captain Picard "together" together(at least implied)

((1)) after her adventures with Q(and making a ton of profit off of artifacts she's found/stolen; not just from the Gamma Quadrant) and her journeys to steal more artifacts(with Quark as a business partner for a year and a half or so), Vash has "retired" from going after artifacts

((2)) now once in a while, she tries to use time travel to steal artifacts that were destroyed many years ago to sell in the 24th century; only to be challenged every time by Captain Picard himself going back in time to keep the timeline from being affected by Vash's actions, which she finds stimulating(even if she never succeeds)

((3)) after the Deep Space Nine episode Q-Less, Q has become something of a know-it-all "older brother" to her(but it's at least implied she doesn't mind his visits "too" too much)

((4)) (shortly after The Next Generation 2-parter All Good Things) after reuniting with Captain Picard, she's also become "behaved enough" in Captain Picard's eyes to visit the Enterprise more often(which has led to her reputation as a prankster among his crew)

((5)) Worf used to be driven kind of mad by her, until he decided to keep a Bat'leth on his person every time she came to visit to discourage her

((6)) (related to above) but past the driven kind of mad part, she often finds a way to get Worf to laugh when they were alone(mostly at her stories of her adventures "with a Klingon twist", but still)

((7)) Riker and Deanna are close friends with Vash

((8)) Vash was there for Picard in Generations; behind the scenes in both universes, before they unfolded differently)

More on Possible Romances

((1)) Data has a emotion chip; so really not far off for him and Jenna D'Sora to find each other again in a romantic way in either the main universe or the Storm Shadows universe(after The Next Generation episode In Theory and Star Trek: Generations)

((2)) Lauren and Nog; because very few from Deep Space Nine could love Nog back the way he wants(but at the very least not in the Storm Shadows universe)

((3)) Minuet with at least a android body of Noonian Soong design(in either universe) and Thomas Riker _**/**_ Commander Will Riker

((4)) (related to above) with Data having tried to make a android offspring of sorts before in The Next Generation episode The Offspring, it's really not far off in the main universe for Data to make a exact match of a android body where the hologram of Minuet could be given life again to give Commander Riker and Minuet a second chance at romance

((5)) Captain Janeway with Doctor Bashir; somehow they just seem that similar(no idea how much better or worse it would go though)

((6)) Jadzia Dax with Doctor Bashir; because Worf is not at all easy to live with, and she was seriously thinking of being with Doctor Bashir(around the time more likely being with Worf to some degree or another)

More on The Q Continuum

-which is not all covered in Historical Log III: Q and Vespers(but there are some slight to moderate spoilers here for the Q Continuum in Historical Log III)

1) the Q(the Questioners), the Prophets(the P), the Douwd(the D), the Nacene(the N), the Companions(the C), the Medusans(the M; but no relation to the M Continuum), the Cytherians(the Y; since the letter C was already taken), the Thasians(the T), the One(the O), the A(the Answerers), the Guardian of Forever(the G; created by the Q Continuum), the Preservers(the Commemorators; the E; since the letters C, M, and O were already taken), and the Vohrsoth(the V)

2) the One _**/**_ Melony(from the Star Trek novel I, Q)

((1)) the one who started and very likely runs the universe(or at least as far as the Q and everyone else under the Q Continuum knew)

((2)) both Omega and Omicron; great O and little O(has omnipotence, but not as much omniscience as one might think)

3) the Answerers _**/**_ the race of omnipotent beings that answer to the One

((1)) having grown tired of the One's orders, they decided to over many years make the Guardian of Forever to pass through all of time and space to evolve into non-corporeal beings and explore on their own hoping to answer their own question; "can we find a order of our own? One with more questions and nothing to grow tired of?"

((2)) only to be met with so much failures that they became driven crazy with amnesia to repress the guilt of their failures or mad with power and came back through the Guardian of Forever to try to come back to their home planet (tying back to the Star Trek novel Time for Yesterday)

4) the Companions _**/**_ the race of non-corporeal beings that the Companion from the Original Series episode Metamorphosis(meaning there's really more than one in the galaxy, or at least as far back as the beginning of time)

5) the Medusans _**/**_ from the Original Series episode Is There in Truth No Beauty?

((1)) it turns out they've been this powerful all along, but that they purposely stepped down from being immortal after the battle with the Vohrsoth

((2)) (related to above) too saddened by what happened that the pain of telepathically hearing others that were hurt by it was simply too much(and almost drove them to destruction)

6) the Commemorators _**/**_ the Preservers(tied into The Next Generation episode The Chase, but only very much implied for someone who has seen The Next Generation episode The Chase)

((1)) originally the archivists of the Q Continuum

((2)) then became the self appointed Preservers after the battle with the Vohrsoth

((3)) The Preservers didn't create life; they rebuilt humanoid life from the ground up to preserve it from fallout from the battle with the Vohrsoth and the rebel Preserver that led them(so that there would be enough of a population to go on, but with the downside of most anyone not knowing what really happened)

((4)) most humanoid life already came about around the time of the Preservers and their battle with the Vohrsoth; just as more primal forms of who they would become

((5)) which implies the Preservers "seeded" a second chance for most humanoids to be more civil with one another, and thus becoming more humanoid like the Preservers themselves to carry their own genetics in the hope of achieving this was a central part of that "seeding"(not that they wouldn't become humanoid to begin with)

((6)) (related to above; at least implied?) it turns out the name Progenitors only came from some mistranslated symbols, and that the Preservers were the name of the race of Progenitors all along

7) (only implied) the Bemotites _**/**_ a race of highly intelligent and empathic betazoid like beings to the point of the power of a demi-god that later evolved into becoming the Betazoids

((1)) other primordial life such as the Bemotites were demi-gods in their own right

((2)) yet they were all given life by the Q Continuum

More on The Vohrsoth

-which is not covered by Historical Log III; there are some moderate spoilers for Storm Shadows - Attunement(but not for the main storyline itself)

((1)) (only very much implied in Historical Log III; not explicitly revealed) originally from the Star Trek video game Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force

((2)) the Vohrsoth's first generation of scouts _**/**_ originally from The Next Generation episode Conspiracy

((3)) Vohrsoth Queens _**/**_ Vohrsoth that can weave a giant cocoon in clay like disgusting brown webs that's surrounded under by ancient dark red bio-electrical coils to make a Forge(from the Star Trek video game Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force); creating more Vohrsoth

((4)) Vohrsoth leaders are only as powerful as their Forges; they aren't as powerful as a Vohrsoth Queen(telepathically or otherwise)

((5)) even the Q fear the Vohrsoth

More on Quantum Mechanics

1) (kind of scrapped) one possibility for "charting the very possibilities of existence"(Q's quote from The Next Generation 2-parter episode All Good Things)

((1)) Tom Paris or Thomas Riker in Storm Shadows universe forms the first incarnation of the Time Police

((2)) after his universe and humanity are saved(to ensure nothing like this happens again in any universe)

2) (scrapped from the fanfiction story; but still might as well be in the main universe) another possibility for "charting the very possibilities of existence"(Q's quote from The Next Generation 2-parter episode All Good Things)

((1)) over a few centuries, Starfleet Intelligence develops scanners that can scan the time stream; and leads to the formation of the first incarnation of the Time Police in the 27th century

((2)) starting from Dr. Paul Manheim's work(in The Next Generation episode We'll Always Have Paris) and beyond


	25. Special Feature: Out from a Multiverse

Storm Shadows – Attunement:

A Star Trek Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Crossover

Special Feature/Out from a Multiverse

Author Notes: This is a collection of ideas around the alternate timelines from Storm Shadows - Suspiration and Storm Shadows - Attunement.

Also... There are no major spoilers for the main storyline of the Storm Shadows trilogy in this collection of ideas. So, no worries there.

Some have been very much implied in the Storm Shadows trilogy. Some haven't had the chance to be. So, I felt it would be good to show them all here.

If you want to co-write one of them with me, I'll definitely think about it.

If you want to write your own spin-off from any ideas in this collection, I'm already giving you permission. No need to ask.

Doesn't mean I'll automatically like it. But, it doesn't mean I'll automatically hate it either.

Now, whether you're going to write a spin-off from it or not... Feel free to enjoy reading out from this multiverse of possibilities.

Alternate Voyager Timelines

1) Alternate timeline from the episodes Resolutions and Basics(Pt1-Pt2)

((1)) Chakotay and Captain Janeway "together" together(most all of it very much implied in Past Kathryn's nightmare)

((2)) by the time Tuvok makes up his mind in favor of hailing the Vidiian convoy, the convoy is already being met by a armed group of Vidiian ships

((3)) and they make sure Voyager doesn't get near it much

((4)) (related to above) leaving the crew mostly disheartened or depressed, but somewhat at peace that they tried anyway(no mutiny against Tuvok)

((5)) no cure found for Chakotay or Captain Janeway until the 2-parter Basics

((6)) Seska's trap falls short without either Chakotay or Captain Janeway to get revenge on, and Seska's lieutenant tries to ritually take himself out of the picture to avoid telling them anything(but the Doctor and Kes ensure that he doesn't and get him to "spill the beans")

((7)) the Doctor and Captain Tuvok grimly realize that contacting Seska may very well be the key to finding the cure for Chakotay and Captain Janeway(through Seska's Cardassian issue DNA hypospray device)

((8)) because Seska deep down still cares for Chakotay's life(however twisted the intentions may be)

((9)) Captain Tuvok hails Seska and Culluh, calling for a cease fire in light of Chakotay's and Captain Janeway's situation

((10)) Seska reluctantly agrees, realizing just how far her plans have fallen short(and consequently Culluh for the same reason)

((11)) Seska reveals her plan in exchange for letting Voyager's crew and the Kazon under Culluh's leadership go separate ways(after helping Chakotay and Captain Janeway return with Seska's DNA hypospray)

((12)) (related to above) almost all of it(not about Tierna's high red blood cell count and a hidden injector to make a bomb with)

((13)) Culluh's tribes go back with Voyager to the planet(with Seska and Culluh planning to double cross them as soon as they have the advantage)

((13)) Tierna(Seska's aide) does not go after Chakotay and Captain Janeway(Seska would've gone for more "psychological torture")

((14)) (related to above) maybe Seska and Kazon though

((15)) Tierna uses excuse of Kazon religion/prayer to be left alone in Sick Bay(but with guards outside of it), setting up for very similar to his and Seska's original plan from Basics Pt1-Pt2

((16)) Kes catches on to the hidden part of Seska's and Culluh's real plan, which is for Tierna to find a excuse to be left alone in Sick Bay to detonate his bomb and take out Sick Bay along with the Doctor and Kes(while hindering the rest of Voyager in a full scale Kazon mutiny, on and off Voyager)

((17)) (related to above) while hindering the rest of Voyager with bombs being deployed like mines while they haven't cleared the atmosphere

((17)) with her Ocampan abilities, Kes is lost in the explosion while stopping the explosion from destroying Sick Bay and the EMH Doctor beyond repair(a year before she could have evolved into a non-corporeal with enough power to just shrug off the explosion without being lost in the explosion)

(18)) (scrapped) (in nightmare) Past Kathryn as one of guards(blaming herself for losing Kes)

((19)) (possibly) with many Kazon and Voyager's crew in Voyager in a very uneasy temporary alliance, Lon Suder has to stop uprising on the Bridge when Tuvok in the middle of one of their session is shot by Kazon(along with most of Security in the area, thanks to Seska's ingenuity)

((20)) Seska is taken out in the fallout; very possibly against Captain Janeway

((21)) Lon Suder is alive, but Kes is gone

((22)) The crew has a funeral for Kes on the planet's surface

((23)) Captain Janeway and Chakotay are the last ones to leave the funeral

((24)) (very possibly for later) Ever since though, they sometimes go explore space together on a shuttle(when circumstances permit it)

((25)) (scrapped) Seska's lieutenant is left nameless forever and tries to take out Chakotay in the woods(but he and Captain Janeway stop him on their own)

((26)) (scrapped) Kes ends up sacrificing her mortal form to protect Voyager when Seska's lieutenant takes her out with a dagger

((27)) (scrapped) Voyager barely makes it out by diving back to the planet, letting the atmosphere itself tear at the Kazon ships at their really fast velocity(with very determined but angry and crazy Kazon)

((28)) Alternate Janeway/Past Kathryn went back to her animal guide, while the main universe Captain Janeway and the Storm Shadows universe Captain Janeway didn't

((29)) (related tie in for Main Universe and Storm Shadows Universe)

after Chakotay's try at mutiny from years ago(gone into in the fanfiction story Eclipse), Captain Janeway was more than a little hurt inside and stopped seeing her animal guide altogether

((30)) (related tie in for Storm Shadows Universe)

Harry Kim still has his(but also to honor Chakotay's memory)

2) Kes gets Voyager home after only three years

((1)) A alternate timeline of the episode The Gift

((2)) Kes sends Voyager all the way across the Delta Quadrant in seconds(not just out of Borg space)

((3)) unfortunately, the Borg detect the "subspace current" and several Borg Cubes converge across the Quadrant to catch the current(even with Species 8472 leaving the Borg weakened across the Quadrant)

((4))) In light of the new threat, Maquis and Starfleet begrudgingly combine forces to stop the Borg and the Dominion in Operation Return(especially with the Dominion another enemy that has already gained the higher ground at this time)

((5)) There are still plenty of small brush fires between the Maquis and Starfleet(particularly in the Demilitarized Zone)

((6)) but Voyager's crew become the best peacekeepers both sides could ask for(with significant help from the invention of Astrometrics)

((7)) with the Maquis and Starfleet begrudgingly working together, Michael Eddington's unit and most of the Maquis units are given asylum away from Cardassia(in time to save most of them from being wiped out)

((8)) Kes and Captain Janeway get their own ships(with Captain Janeway and most of the crew on Voyager of course)

((9)) They still go through the motions, much akin to that of Season 4 of Voyager(but in the midst of the Dominion War and not being stranded in the Delta Quadrant)

((10)) (related to above) But that may very well also mean several ghosts from the past to still confront within themselves

((11)) Tuvok is lost(because of the fanfiction story Starrider's version of the episode Repression)

((12)) Seven is fairly shaken up by Starfleet's unease about giving her any assignments because of being assimilated at such a young age(but Voyager's crew fights the administration, and Seven maintains her individuality)

((13)) B'Elanna and most every other member of the Maquis are more temperamental or depressed, because of the Dominion wiping out most of the Maquis

((14)) (related to above) Voyager's crew manages to save a few Maquis units including their own Maquis crewmembers, but the Dominion wiping out most of the Maquis still happens

((15)) Chakotay gets captured by the Dominion along with Worf, and the rest of Voyager's crew are all the more depressed or temperamental(because of the countless lives lost in the Dominion war as a whole)

((16)) Kes becomes captain of a medical ship, with the Doctor as the ship's doctor(where he is fully recognized for what he can do)

((17)) With tremendous assistance from her abilities and placement, Kes becomes instrumental in saving millions of lives in the Dominion War(with the Doctor's help of course)

((18)) (related to above) not enough to see coming the Cardassian forces being mostly wiped out by the Dominion's hand, but still instrumental for the Federation's endurance nevertheless

Alternate Deep Space Nine Timelines

1) alternate Jadzia Dax from a alternate timeline from the Deep Space Nine episode Change of Heart

((1)) when Worf, hoping she'll hold out, goes to get the informant out

((2))(very much implied; related to above) but she's gone by time he gets back(thanks to lightning subspace distortion, but would've otherwise been lost to the Jem'Hadar there), and he has no choice but to leave with only the informant

((3)) (at least implied) Worf vows to restore her honor by going after and helping take down the Dominion(in somewhat quicker time than main universe with information from the informant); assuming Jadzia Dax was taken by Jem'Hadar before she broke out(or something very similar)

2) a alternate timeline of the Deep Space Nine episode Hippocratic Oath

((1)) after O'Brien's first escape attempt, Doctor Bashir very reluctantly concludes that the only way O'Brien won't stop him from helping Goran'Agar is to keep him unconscious(knocks him out)

((2)) with some time, Doctor Bashir extracts a sample of Goran'Agar's mutation to study well enough for a replicator to replicate the compounds needed to go into a hypospray(allowing Goran'Agar's unit to grow the mutation in their bodies over time to the point of not needing Ketracel white)

((3)) Doctor Bashir also kind of lies about the mutation to the men and says it's "a evolutionary step for all of them in a matter of years"(concentrating less on great frustration with O'Brien and more on the task at hand)

((4)) some of them reject the idea, seeing it as no better than Ketracel white by another authority to try to "weaken them"

((5)) a fight ensues, but Goran'Agar and a few other along with Doctor Bashir escape along with a very reluctant O'Brien

((6)) Doctor Bashir is successful, despite much hesitance and unease on Deep Space Nine with Goran'Agar's remaining men on board to start their "accelerated mutation to be better than their brothers and help them see how much stronger they can be without the Dominion"

((7)) but O'Brien is no longer Doctor Bashir's friend, angered by what Bashir did

((8)) a year or so later, Dumar's and the Federation's resistance is given a fair chance at beating the Dominion in light of most of the Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar siding with Goran'Agar(with their contempt for the Alpha Quadrant Jem'Hadar given new fire)

((9)) in desperation, the Founders allied with the Borg against their common enemies; the Founders agreed to let them keep the Delta Quadrant and the Beta Quadrant in exchange for showing no mercy to leaders with great resistance in the Alpha Quadrant

((10)) (related to above) but also since the Founders don't care much for the Delta Quadrant or the Beta Quadrant anyway

((11)) the Borg of course plotted to assimilate the leaders anyway by putting all their attacks in one fleet, thereby not giving leaders a chance to put up great resistance and keeping their agreement with the Founders

((12)) but this only made the Jem'Hadar and the Cardassians rebel all the more

((13)) Alpha and Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar turn on the Dominion, realizing the Founders no longer see them as worthy to fight and so the only way to really fight is to "fight for their right to fight" against the Dominion's forces; called the Dominion Great Depression by the Founders in the vain hope of discouraging more Jem'Hadar from rebelling

((14)) some Starfleet Captains were given salvaged Borg implants by Starfleet Intelligence in the hope of matching the Borg's power; some were successful, some weren't

((15)) Captain Sisko was one of the more successful(despite how much he hated the Borg and hated the idea of a Borg implant in him, even if it is temporary)

((16)) Captain Picard flat out refused a implant; but Captain Data was also among one of the more successful(who saw it as software to stick in him to combat a great evil that can just be taken out of him when the war is over)

((17)) the Federation put up a good fight and forced the Dominion and the Borg's forces into a stalemate

((18)) the surviving Borg self destruct or flee, but the Federation lost several worlds to the Borg including Betazed, Bajor, and Cardassia

((19)) Captain Sisko and Dukat's fight never happens, because Dukat and Dumar were taken out by a changeling(blaming both of them along with Garak for having a great hand in setting in motion the Dominion's Great Depression)

((20)) Garak though catches the changeling through his/her disguise before he/she can take him out, and so takes him/her out instead

((21)) in this timeline, the Prophets decide Captain Sisko should stay in this universe after the Dominion War to bring forth a rebirth of Bajoran culture and the Bajoran people as their Emissary(uniting Bajorans across the Quadrant, Maquis and non-Maquis, priests and non-priests for the future of all Bajoran people)

((22)) Captain Sisko resigns from Starfleet to become the new government head of the new Bajor, much to Kai Winn's highly reluctant agreement as a second in power to him

((23)) (related to above) as the Prophets said would be necessary to bring forth the rebirth of Bajoran culture and the Bajoran people(which Captain Sisko is himself highly reluctant about)

((24)) Garak or Doctor Bashir with his own ship; Garak possibility scrapped

((25)) (related to above) federation ship with Borg panels and with Gamma quadrant Jem'Hadar

3) three Captain Siskos from different timelines before the Guardian of Forever, brawling with Changeling assimilated Borg shapeshifting drones of Cardassians and Klingons

Alternate The Next Generation timelines

1) alternate Geordi's timeline

((1)) after Admiral Hayes gives Geordi a ultimatum about his Visor(from the Star Trek: The Next Generation eBook The Office of Insolence), Geordi decides to turn to a third choice(inspired by Commander Riker's risk taking on missions together onboard and off the Enterprise)

((2)) he takes a few days leave from duty to "think it over" back on Earth, but is really taking a shuttle with Data to Hugh's resistance(looking to make his Visor more secure with Hugh's help, but also to check on how his resistance is doing)

((3)) the mostly simple reconnaissance mission though takes a turn for the worse, and Geordi and Data find themselves in the middle of a civil war

((4)) Hugh's people have become two separate small nations; one more like Hugh(heavily guarded but otherwise peaceful), and one more like Lore(heavy on scientific study and technology, but without "weak human limits")

((5)) Geordi, Data, and Hugh work together to stop the more Lore like nation, only to find to their surprise a Lore II leading them(who was placed there by Section 31)

((6)) with Section 31 involved, Geordi and Data get a signal out to the Enterprise to help(Data gets the signal out through slightly modifying his neural net)

((7)) and after they go after Lore II, Hugh helps Geordi with making his Visor more secure

((8)) unfortunately, Lore II is a upgraded version of Lore, who is able to destroy Data

((9)) (related to above) when Data nobly sacrifices his android body by throwing himself at Lore II to save Geordi's and Hugh's lives, so that Geordi and Hugh could get a shot to shoot Lore II down when even Data couldn't damage him much

((10)) Geordi gets promoted to Commander, and he gets to keep his Visor(with some Borg implant tech around it)

((11)) a few years after, he gets to be Captain of his own ship(with some members of Hugh's resistance)

2) alternate Deanna Troi's timeline

-possibly was going to be a alternate Doctor Beverly Crusher's timeline, but that idea was scrapped

((1)) a more deadened Deanna Troi, who's been in a metaphasic ship against the Borg for so long that she's become more pain-ridden at "the voices of the assimilated" literally crying out to her for months

((2)) (related to above) especially of assimilated Betazoids, who she can hear their voices

((3)) (related to above) and more especially of her assimilated mother Lwaxana Troi; driving her crazy half the time, and the other half of the time comforting her with hope

((4)) and with Dr. Beverly Crusher lost at the hands of a Lore that was rebuilt by Romulans under Sela(to replace and impersonate Data to try to ensure the Romulan Empire conquering the Enterprise)

((5)) metaphasic shielding and USS Enterprise E

Metaphasic shielding for alternate Deanna Troi's USS Enterprise E

((1)) more compact tan gray storage compartment(for Riga's shuttle in The Next Generation episode Suspicions)

((2)) radial force compensators spread across very compact rung styled bulkheads aligned with the shield emitters(encasing moderately complex circuitry)

((3)) metaphasic projection matrix on the tactical console under a glass bluish white upper panel(white reddish lit silvery rim), with a special mostly plastic wheel like mostly light gray ventilation unit to ensure solar radiation is pushed away from the environmental systems and doesn't break in(unless the shielding is sabotaged)

((4)) a clear blue rod against mostly black only thing seen past the special mostly plastic wheel like mostly light gray ventilation unit

((5)) polarized field emitter coil crowbar like with its double set of tube shapes, dark gray, and mostly wrapped around the metaphasic projection matrix

((6)) (related to above) and outside it, over the ventilation unit; because otherwise the polarization would become too volatile and destroy the ship or shuttle the metaphasic shielding is around

Ehras's Universe

-for more info about Ehras, see under main chapters of Storm Shadows - Attunement or the special feature Notes in the Shadows

((1)) a universe where the Andorian Empire rules the Alpha Quadrant; even Ferenginar serves them

((2)) the Borg recently tried to challenge their strength; but, the Andorian Empire proved they were stronger and destroyed their fleet

((3)) the fleet in Ehras's universe used a experimental concentrated form of Multianics in gel pack form to hack the Borg and disarm their systems in mid-fire, overloading them

For Beta Squad(tying into Storm Shadows - Suspiration)

((1)) Going by a diverging continuity from the fanfiction story Afterthoughts, the Prophets weren't there to help Voyager against the Matrix(no, not The Matrix from The Matrix movies)

((2)) since Sisko was supposedly destroyed by Pah-wraith powered Dukat(and the gate to the Prophets remained closed in consequence)

((3)) Leaving Voyager's crew with one desperate alternative

((4)) (related to above) designing one chamber Kohl rocket ships of their own to give the Matrix a tempting target to worry about more(refitting several shuttles with a wirelessly connected Kohl stasis unit, greatly helped by Vyoir's special tricorder's neural Kohl enhancements to project neural pattern ghosts)

((5)) it bought enough time, but Xana and Vyoir were mentally attacked by the Matrix and left vulnerable to being lost to the Matrix in the Matrix's destruction(more explicitly both revealed as at least having been part of Beta Squad in the fanfiction story Eclipse)

Yet Even More Alternate Timelines Briefly Seen

1) set in the original series of Star Trek

((1))radioactive green and blue fragments in a wave of asteroids, blowing up and being collected by the USS Enterprise's buzzard collectors before they can collide with a mostly blue planet

((2)) the planet with islands and low energy shield generators that look like large mostly brown black and red lined rustic missiles to shield the islands's alien populations from the high tides

2) likely from the one from The Next Generation episode Yesterday's Enterprise

-the USS Enterprise-C going back through the unstable wormhole to the battle with the Romulans(around the Klingon outpost for Narenda III)

3) set in the Dominion War

((1)) the Orion Syndicate making a superweapon with several anti-matter cores for the Dominion to use(much like the one in the Star Trek video game Star Trek: Encounters) that the USS Enterprise-E has to stop with help from ten Klingon Birds-of-Prey and the USS Defiant

((2)) with a somewhat large fleet of Orion raiders(much like the ones in the Star Trek video game Star Trek: Encounters) and Jem'Hadar ships defending the superweapon

4) the USS Voyager comes across a solar system sized perfectly cloaked Dyson Sphere with burnt marks across it in the Delta Quadrant

((1)) which turns out to have been holding the Chodak rulers overturned by the rebel Chodak in stasis chambers and the USS Voyager's crew have to stop

((2)) they were in stasis, until a million and three centuries years later when Species 8472 and the Borg both tried to take the solar system sized Dyson Sphere for themselves

((3)) the Dyson Sphere burned their forces away, and the energy of the automated systems used to do so caused a great enough fluctuation in the energy into the stasis chambers for the Chodak rulers to reawaken and try to turn the Dyson Sphere back to re-conquer their ancient empire that used to span the Alpha and Beta Quadrants(the Chodak from The Next Generation video game Star Trek: A Final Unity)

((4)) (related to above) the USS Voyager comes across a sector sized perfectly cloaked Dyson Sphere with burn marks across it...which turns out to have been holding former rulers for a red beady eyed and mostly chalky bluish mollusk resembling race called the Chodak

((5)) (one million three hundred and six years ago) they were overthrown by a force of rebel Chodak, who thought their rulers were growing too powerful with Dyson Spheres, Delphic Expanse Spheres to contain and expand most kinds of captured subspace distortions, and other such reality warping developments in their empire

((6)) (related to above) and the Chodak rulers created Sphere-Builder rumors to hide that the Chodak built them(up to interpretation since only showed in another possible timeline altogether; but, possibly writing out Star Trek: Enterprise altogether by turning the Sphere-Builders into the Chodak)

((7)) the Chodak rulers have been in stasis in bright greenish force field protected stasis chambers ever since; until the sector sized Dyson Sphere burned forces from both Species 8472 and the Borg away

((8)) when the Chodak rulers reawaken, they try to turn the Dyson Sphere back to reclaim the solar systems of their long gone ancient empire that used to span the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

((9)) It's not long before the USS Voyager fires phasers to solder a way to beam in, and security teams start beaming in

((10)) (related to above) against speeding over Chodak rulers in their reactivated mobile and heavily fortified mostly dark gray life support capable artificial shells, with a glass bowl and pairs of blinking yellow lights for highly advanced pattern buffer and force field emitters


End file.
